Turn For The Worst
by Number Ten
Summary: Emma Swan's life is as normal as can be until a night out with her friends leads to her abduction by a stranger. Held against her will by a maniac and his family, Emma holds out hope that she will escape. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Killian Jones, and her family and friends search frantically for her in order to bring her back alive. Trigger Warning; rape and abduction
1. Chapter 1

_This is my own fanfiction. I don't own the characters. All rights go to the creators of Once Upon a Time, Disney, and ABC._

 _My life is about to change; for better or for worse, I just know it._

Emma Swan rolls over in bed, squinting into the bright sunlight. The sounds of Boston, Massachusetts roll below her, providing an unwelcome wake-up call. She had been up half the night and wasn't ready for the sun just yet. She places a pillow over her head and attempts to go back to sleep. The clock reads that it's after 8 and she pulls the blankets up to cover her body.

"Good morning Love,"

Emma rolls over to see Killian standing at the doorway with cups of coffee in his hands. His hypnotic blue eyes beam down at her and his dark messed up hair, falling softly around his forehead. He has a neatly trimmed beard around his smiling face. He stands in his boxer shorts, showing his 4-pack stomach, something that made his companion's heart race. Emma smiles widely and throws off the pillow to welcome him into her bed. The handsome man hands her a steaming mug before climbing into bed with her.

"I was going to make hot chocolate the way you like it, but you're all out," he says gently.

"Yeah, Henry and I used it up last week, I've been meaning to buy some more," Emma says as she takes a sip from her mug. "It's not easy being a mother of a teenager."

"Aye," Killian says. "But it's nice for you to have a night off."

"Was it really a night?" Emma smirks. "It was more like a weekend."

"I'd call it two nights," Killian grins. "Two amazing nights…" He leans forward to kiss her.

Emma can't help but smile. Last night had been a long time coming. She and Killian had started seeing each other only months before, taking the time to get to know one another before taking things to the next level. Both were recovering from intense losses, Killian lost his last girlfriend to cancer and Emma's fiancé, ex-fiancé, and the father of her son, Henry, had upped and left her with little explanation. Both had suffered great heartbreak and found solace in one another, Killian sitting in a bar, drinking his depression away when Emma walked in. She was actually working at the time they met, trying to hunt down a person who had skipped their bail after being arrested for several thefts. She was walking around the seedier side of town, trying to dig up some leads and she ended up asking him for information. He was a docks man, working in the harbor to make ends meet and at the time, mourning the loss of his beloved Milah, who had succumbed to lung cancer a few months previous. He thought the docks would always make him feel close to his family and brother, all of whom were gone now. Killian had seen a suspicious man hanging around and offered to help Emma look for him. He had never seen a woman so beautiful, with her lively, but determined green eyes and long blonde hair pulled back to keep her focused. Emma had refused to allow him to come along due to the dangers, but Killian was stubborn and insisted.

The two did end up catching the man, with Killian tackling the man after the perpetrator had drawn a gun on Emma. Emma told Killian to hide as she was the armed one and was confronting the man. The two fought until the escapee got a hold of Emma's gun and it was then the docks man attacked, taking him down and saving Emma's life.

Emma had insisted she buy Killian a drink after the arrest was made, for saving her life and they hit it off. Killian was quite handsome and Emma couldn't keep her eyes from him. The feeling was quite mutual. The two talked until the bars closed and Killian asked for her number.

She was, of course, reluctant to give it, since her trust had been severely shaken after Neal, her fiancé had run off, but she did end up giving it to him. She had been with Neal for sixteen years, mostly due to her giving birth to their son, Henry Swan-Cassidy, after a year of dating when she was sixteen. They had loved one another and stayed together for their son, happily cohabitating, no plans to get married, but things began to deteriorate after Henry turned ten. Neal became very distant, mostly due to the death of his mother and his father re-marrying a much younger woman. He accused his father of moving on too quickly and Neal was never the same afterward. Emma, who had been in the foster system most of her life, couldn't fully understand his pain of loss and this was one of the nails in the coffin of their relationship. Neal had asked Emma to marry him and she thought it would be a new start for them, but he started staying out late, working late and became extremely aloof. This added more strain to their relationship and fights broke out more and more, Emma accusing him of neglecting time with Henry and infidelity. Then one night, when Henry was almost thirteen, after picking him up from a swim meet, she found most of the apartment cleaned out and note saying Neal had had enough.

The recovery was long and hard for both. Henry, who was now fifteen, took it the hardest and became just as distant. He thought that his father walking out might have been his fault and like many children of separated parents, he blamed himself. Henry was struggling to fit in in high school, feeling like the odd one out and was working through his identity crisis and teenage hormones. Emma did her best to comfort Henry, not as successfully as she was hurting too. She knew that her son needed his father for these years to get advice for dating and grades. Emma was trying so hard to help him, but in the end, he shut her out. She decided space was what they both needed. Emma buried herself in work, having one of her friends, Regina Mills, help Henry with whatever he needed while she worked. The work did little to ease the pain of being left by Neal, but ever so slowly, she began to recover.

Regina had been divorced twice and she was one of Emma's confidants after Neal walked out. She lent a helping hand and ear to Emma, helping her work through the pain. Regina could be a little hard sometimes, even bitter. Both of her husbands had left her since she could not have children. This was due to a car accident in her teens, and Regina found little hope in the darkness. Emma had hired Regina to take care of Henry when he was little and this gave her some comfort. Emma had allowed Regina to have the relationship she'd always wanted with a child and she became Henry's second mother in a way. She was there for everything, including his graduation from elementary school and it made her happy. When Neal left the family, Regina became Emma and Henry's guide to coping with the distress and gave advice when it was needed. Emma was forever grateful to Regina. In fact, Henry was staying with her when she spent the weekend with Killian.

"I haven't done anything like that in a long time," Emma whispers, putting her mug on the nightstand and laying against Killian's bare chest.

"Neither have I," Killian says in his warm Irish accent. He kisses the top of her head.

"I wish this moment could last forever," she sighs.

Killian says nothing and wraps his arms around Emma.

…

Eventually, they do have to get up to go to work. Their weekend was over and it was time to go back to reality. Killian changes into his shirt and pants from Friday as Emma brushes her teeth.

"Next time I'll be sure to pack extra clothes," he says, zipping his fly. "I'll never hear the end of it from Robin and Will when I get home."

"I'd take both of them over Ruby any day," Emma sighs. "She'll want all the details."

"You don't kiss and tell, do you?" Killian asks, raising his eyebrow.

Emma smiles with the toothbrush in her mouth. "She'll have to kidnap and torture me to get the specifics."

Killian gives her his odd half-smile that always makes her blush. "I won't tell my lads if you won't tell the Lasses."

"It's a promise," Emma says before spitting into the sink.

"Perhaps next weekend, we can relive the experience?" Killian suggests, coming up behind Emma and wrapping his arms around her as she brushes her hair.

"I wish I could, but it's Lacey's birthday next Friday and it's a girl's night out."

"I would happy to be the designated driver," he murmurs, burying his face into her blonde hair.

"You just want to see me drunk again," Emma mutters, trying to brush around Killian's face.

"Can I help it that you're quite lovely when you let your hair down?" he asks.

"Stop tempting me," Emma giggles. "Now please let me get changed."

"Never," Killian smiles, tightening his grip on her.

Emma's hip checks Killian gently so she can finish getting ready for work. He begins attacking her with kisses and she screams with laughter.

…

"Morning Emma," David Nolan says, greeting his top bail bonds agent as she walks into the police station. "Did you have a good weekend?"

Emma does her best not to blush as she goes towards her section of the station.

"Mary Margret wanted to have you over this weekend, but I discouraged it considering you had other plans," David says, giving her a knowing smile

David Nolan was the lieutenant of the Boston Police Department and was a good friend of Emma's. He and his, wife Mary Margret, who was Emma's best friend had come to Boston a few years previously, hoping for a fresh start after Mary Margret lost her father. The two were the epidemy of happiness, love in it's truest form, married for a long time. Mary Margret worked as a teacher and David the lieutenant, in charge of Emma's task force. They were also going to be parents very soon; Mary Margret was in her eighth month and they were eager and excited to welcome a new life. Emma was always willing to give her child care advice and the teacher returned the favour by always listening when Emma had a problem. The woman was sweet and a social butterfly, the total opposite of Emma and she managed to get Emma to make a few more friends and socialize whenever possible. Emma felt she could always trust the two of them and go to them for anything.

"That was probably for the best, how is she doing?"

"Excited, but tired, we have the nursery ready. Mary thinks it'll be a boy and I think it'll be a girl and look like her."

"Alright Lieutenant Nolan, there's much to be done, we can't spend all day chit chatting," a stern voice interjects.

Police Commissioner Gold walks into the station, a stern look on his face, which is nothing new. He is dressed in his regular uniform, clean and pressed like always as he eyes the two workers talking to each other.

"I'm sure Miss Swan has more important things to do rather than talk about your pregnant wife,"

David's ears turn red and his jaw clenches, but he merely nods and walks towards his office.

"Get to work Swan," Gold orders.

"Yes sir," Emma says.

"I'm sorry?" Gold says loudly.

"Yes, Commissioner," she says through gritted teeth before escaping to her section of the station.

"Hi Leroy," Emma says as she passes his desk.

The bearded short man grunts as a response and only looks up once to acknowledge Emma.

"Grumpy as always," Emma says.

"I wouldn't be so bad if you weren't late again. What was it this time? Broken down car? Son sick? A one night stand?"

Emma slams her bag down and glares at Leroy. "Speak a little louder, I'm sure the interns on the third floor couldn't quite hear you."

Leroy returns Emma's stare. "Just get on the new case. I put it on your desk. It's bad enough we have a tyrant for a Commissioner, I don't need my best bonds person waylaid for being late and in love."

"I'm not in love," Emma grimaces.

"Sure you're not," Leroy mutters. He takes a flask from his jacket and swigs some more. It's nine in the morning and he's already half drunk. Emma had warned him about his alcoholism, but she always gets a snappy answer. It's why she doesn't bother with Leroy as often as she could.

Emma looks at the new case on her desk when her phone buzzes.

 _Ruby:_ _Hey girl, why was your phone off all weekend? Is there something I should know ;-)_

 ** _Nothing that concerns you_** _._ Emma texts back

 _Ruby: You still tired from a good time?_

 ** _Emma: I am not discussing this with u!_**

 _Ruby: You'll spill. I know you will. U coming out on Friday for Lacey's B-Day?_

 ** _Emma: Wouldn't miss it. Who else is coming?_**

 _Ruby: Elsa, Anna, Zelli, Beauty Queen, Gina and MeyLing. What about Mary?"_

 ** _Emma: You know she can't go anywhere in her condition._**

 _Ruby: Just thought it would be polite to ask_

 ** _Emma: Well consider it answered. Shouldn't u b working?_**

 _Ruby: On break._

"Ah hum!" a stern voice from the far end of the room. Emma drops her phone onto her desk in surprise to see Gold staring her down from the doorway. "I'm sure your conversations about the latest styles can wait until after work Miss Swan. You have forfeited two minutes of lunch."

"Yes, Commissioner, I'll turn it off," Emma says obediently.

"Thank you," Gold says before walking away.

Emma sighs heavily and Leroy shoots her a look. She ignores him and sends a goodbye text to Ruby before shutting her phone off.

"Such is the life," Emma mutters. "Nothing ever changes here."

 _That's what you think…_


	2. Chapter 2

After work, Emma walks to the nearby diner, _Granny's_ , to pick up Henry's favourite meal for dinner. She also had to clean up her apartment given her weekend with Killian left a few things in poor condition.

"Well if it isn't Miss All Night Long," a voice announces across the diner. Immediately Emma regrets going in while Ruby's working. "Or should I say, Miss All Weekend Long!"

"Could you be any louder?" Emma moans, coming to the counter of the classic 50's style diner, where Ruby, in her very revealing clothing and her dark hair streaked with red, is cleaning some glassware.

Ruby Lucas was another one of Emma's friends. Provocative, free spirited and dirty in every possible way. Ruby had had too many one-night stands to count and she always loved to talk about sex, despite the fact she worked in a public restaurant. She was always trying to hook Emma up with a date or try to get her laid, mostly to annoy the blonde. When Killian came into the picture, Ruby wanted every dirty detail. Despite her lewd attitude, Ruby did really care for her friends and was loyal to the core. She was the leader of their little circle of friends, the "pack leader" as she liked to put it and she always made sure they had a good time no matter what. She worked at her grandmother's restaurant to put herself into art college, but at this point, was only making her hair a work of art. Ruby did butt heads with her grandmother, whom everyone called Granny due to the diner's name, about moving out of state for college. This constantly pushed her to the breaking point. The waitress wanted to be free, but Granny always said she had enough freedom as it was. Emma knew never to intrude in the family affairs but was always the person Ruby vented her frustrations to when the time came.

"I'm sorry, but the fact that you scored with this guy is something to be celebrated," Ruby smirks.

Emma rolls her eyes. "I did not 'score' with him. It's not a contest Ruby; we're taking things slow and actually building a mutual relationship. You know that sex is not some game to be won."

"I know but you guys must be getting serious if you did it all weekend," Ruby grins wiggling her eyebrows. "So was it big? Did he have abs? Was his hair greasy in your hands?"

"Can we please stop talking about my sex life in a public diner?" Emma begs, her face flushing the deepest red imaginable. Other people were eating and occasionally staring at the two women. Fortunately, most of them were local and knew to ignore Ruby's statements.

"Alright fine, but next time we hang out, I want all the nasty details."

"Not going to happen. I don't kiss and tell," Emma says firmly.

"Oh come on," Ruby whines. "I won't tell anyone I promise."

"Sure you won't," Emma mutters. "And the minute I turn my back, you'll tell Elsa and the others before posting it on your blog."

"Can I help it that I'm happy my best friend finally got laid?" Ruby says quietly. "It's been a while since the asshole dumped you and you were starting to become very boring."

"I resent that," Emma grimaces. "Can I please get Henry's usual bacon cheeseburger with fries and an order of onion rings to go?"

Ruby writes everything down on a notepad.

"Oh please, Emma, before sailor boy walked into your life, you were a stick in the mud. You were a typical mother in her 30s and you're only 28. You'd always worked late and had nothing interesting to say except about Henry and no offense to him, but his life isn't all that interesting. Now you're laughing, going out with the girls and actually smiling more."

"I am not," Emma says. An image of Killian enters her mind and the corners of her mouth pull up.

"You're smiling right now!" Ruby points out before putting the order on a wheel that rotated into the kitchen. Emma's face falls to convince her dyed haired friend that she wasn't lying.

"So have you talked to Lacey about Friday?" Emma asks, desperate to change the subject.

"Sure have, she's really pumped, turning 24 and all."

"Where are we going?" Emma asks.

"I'd really like to go bar hopping and maybe hit a strip club or two."

"Don't you think we're a little old for that?" Emma asks skeptically.

"Come on Emma, live a little!" Ruby whines.

"You're not the one who has to have self-respect and an image to keep with your son."

"Henry would be coming out with us if he was allowed. The kid needs to cut loose a little!"

"He's fine the way he is!" Emma insists. "He and I are going through a rough patch so I'm just letting him do what he wants."

"Something all parents take pride in saying," Ruby mutters sarcastically.

"Shut up, you've never had a kid before," Emma snaps.

"No I haven't but the kid needs to socialize a bit more. He doesn't even talk to the guys on his swim team."

"He's just shy," Emma insists.

"Order up!" Granny's voice calls from the back. She glares at Ruby over her square glasses. "Ruby you know what I told you about talking during work!"

"Come on Grandma!" Ruby whines again. "I was working all day."

"So was I and you don't see me wasting time."

"I can't wait to get out of here," Ruby moans, handing Emma the bag of food.

"So you've told me," Emma says. "How much do I owe you?"

"16.50," is the answer.

Emma pays her friend and leaves a tip.

"I'll see you on Friday if not before," Emma says.

"Okay, thanks, Emma," Ruby waves as Emma walks out of the diner into the graying evening. She climbs into her yellow Volkswagen car, usually called "the bug." It was one of the few things Neal let Emma keep when he took off. He had owned the car when he met Emma and they both loved it, taking road trips, even after Henry was born. There were some good memories associated with it, but Emma still felt a heavy heart whenever she drove it. When she came home the night he left, the keys were next to the note saying that she could keep it.

Emma gets to her apartment and parks her bug. She climbs the stairs and opens their apartment door. Henry sits in front of the T.V. with his feet up and a bowl of chips in his lap. The contents of his backpack lay strewn around on the floor and coffee table.

"Hello Henry," Emma says.

"Hi Mom," he mumbles, crunching on another chip.

"Don't spoil your appetite too much, I brought home your favourite from _Granny's_."

"Thanks, Mom," Henry says without much enthusiasm.

Emma brings her bag and the food into the kitchen and checks her messages. One from Leroy about the new case she had and one from Killian. She blushes hard when she reads the message.

 _Killian: Been thinking of you all day. Hope there is still that fire in your eyes from the night before._

Emma texts back and Killian sends her a funny message, so funny that she has to laugh out loud to.

When she looks up, she sees Henry staring at her with a sullen expression. She puts her phone down and brings down plates and glasses. She serves the food to Henry and eats her onion rings

"How was school?" Emma asks, trying to break the silence.

"Same," Henry shrugs. "I have another English assignment to do this week."

"Have you started it?" his mother asks.

"Not yet,"

"Well it's better to get a head start since you have a practice on Wednesday,"

"I know," Henry mutters, stopping the conversation completely.

Emma looks at her son for a long time. He looked so much like his father it was uncanny. Even though Neal's hair had gone slightly gray since their time together, it originally had been brown and Henry was letting his grow out over his eyes. Her son had a mixture of their eyes and the freckles were also Neal's. She spent some time wishing the Neal could be here for his son and help him through the rough teen years. Emma remembers being in foster homes in her teens and at one point, homeless. She had been forced to steal to survive and got into trouble with the law once and a while. She and Neal had been partners in crime, in fact, Emma had attempted to steal the bug while Neal had been sleeping in the back. He saved both of them from being arrested as it wasn't his car either and Emma had attempted to speed away with the car after hotwiring it. They stopped their crime sprees when Henry was born and they both agreed never to allow Henry to fall into the same pattern and make their mistakes. They knew that Henry had made them better people and they wanted to give him his best chance at a bright future.

Emma knew Henry missed his dad and accepting Killian into their lives was hard, but Emma had promised Henry that she and Killian would take it slow. Killian also never tried to replace Neal and tried to bond with the kid when he could, but Henry was still distant and most likely angry too. Emma knew he kept his emotions to himself, but she wished that he would talk to her about how he felt.

"How was your weekend at Regina's?" Emma asks.

"Alright, she let me play video games and she took me to see a movie. It was fun."

"Glad to hear it," Emma says gently.

There's another long silence.

"Henry…?" Emma asks.

"Hm?" he mutters.

"I'm sorry that I had you stay with Regina this weekend."

"It's fine Mom," Henry whispers.

"I know this is hard for you and believe me, it's hard for both of us too. I want you to know that I love you and always will. Killian will never replace your dad and we'll definitely take it slow."

"I know Mom, I'm fine," Henry insists in a harsher tone.

"Henry I…"

Emma's phone buzzes loudly, relieving some of the intensity in the room. Emma gets up quickly and answers it.

"Hello?"

"Emma," Leroy's gruff voice comes over the speaker. "Gold wants you to do some extra research about the new perp's portfolio before the stakeout tomorrow."

"Oh come on," Emma moans. "I already typed up three and a half pages today."

"He says it's not enough," Leroy mutters.

"It's never enough for him," Emma snarls.

"He wants four more pages by eleven, midnight at the latest."

Emma looks over at Henry who's eating quietly.

"It's already seven o'clock, But…"

"He said to do it or you'll be finding another job," Leroy insists.

Emma rolls her eyes. Gold threatened everyone with firing, it kept the intimidation factor up and made everyone respect him. She grinds her teeth in frustration, she was hoping to have a quiet night to read, not so apparently.

"Typical, but fine, I'll do it,"

"Just email them to him when you're done," Leroy says before hanging up abruptly.

"Good night to you too," Emma mutters sarcastically.

She turns to her son.

"I need to do some work,"

"Mr. Gold again?" Henry asks.

Emma nods.

"Why can't he do it?" her son asks.

"Because he won't get off his ass and do it himself," Emma growls.

"Sorry you have to work Mom," Henry says gently.

"It's okay, just holler if you need my help with the assignment."

"Okay, and one more thing?" Henry adds.

"Yes?"

"Just next time tell your boyfriend to hide the condom wrapper better."


	3. Chapter 3

"I really think I should put him in therapy or something," Emma says, sitting in her car talking to Mary Margret on the phone during one of her stakeouts the following night. She's parked on a quiet street in a borrowed car from the station as a yellow bug would draw too much attention. She's waiting at the address of a perpetrator who was supposed to be arrested for drug trafficking and managed to skip town, allegedly. Emma had learned the address of the guy's girlfriend and if he is like any other guy, he'd come back either to get something valuable or to say goodbye.

"Well I don't think that's the best idea,"

"Mary he's struggling, a lot," Emma sighs. "More than I thought."

"But therapy usually communicates that there's something wrong with him," Mary Margret says. "It's likely to make him more depressed than before."

Emma hears Mary Margret grunt.

"Are you okay?" Emma says quickly, thinking she might go into labour.

"I'm fine, I just stubbed my toe while mopping."

"You should really be lying down," Emma sighs. She looks at the clock. "Especially after midnight."

"I can't sleep with the baby kicking and trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in is impossible at this stage."

"But even then, you shouldn't be straining yourself with housework. When I was pregnant with Henry, I couldn't do anything in my last month."

"I'm pregnant, not made of glass Emma," Mary Margret says. "Please stop talking like David."

"He's just worried about you that's all. We want a healthy baby."

"And you'll get one," Mary Margret says. "Speaking of which, would you like to be the baby's godmother?"

Emma's jaw drops in surprise and her phone nearly slips through her hands. She feels very honoured, but also a bit surprised.

"I…I don't know what to say…"

"Say yes, Regina is going to be the other godmother and she's already given me her answer,"

Emma smiles and tears well up. "I'd be honoured."

"That's good to hear."

"Have you decided on names yet?" Emma asks, reaching into the glove compartment for a chocolate bar.

"Well, if it's a girl we're thinking Eva or maybe Julia. For a boy, it'll likely be Leo after my father or Robert after David's."

"Those are nice names," Emma says before something catches her eye. "I got to go, Mary, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, be safe," her friend says before hanging up.

Emma fumbles to get a pair of binoculars and looks out the passenger window.

At the very end of the street, she sees a lone figure walk towards the girlfriend's house.

"Like so many others, they always come back," Emma whispers to herself. She must take another long look just be sure it's someone else, but the fact that guy is walking home at after 12:00 at night is quite suspicious. He obviously does not want to be seen.

Emma grabs her gun as well as her handcuffs and anything else she might need. She waits for the man to enter the house before she makes her move.

Quietly, she opens the door of the car and gets out. She begins walking along the street as casually as she can, keeping her weapons concealed. The chilly night air causes her to shiver once in her red leather jacket. She zips it up over her bullet proof vest which she wears on all her stakeouts.

She quietly approaches the house. She decides to listen in to make sure this right guy she's arresting.

"Jacob you shouldn't have some back," a female voice says. "The cops are everywhere and there's a warrant out for you. I've already been dragged to the station six times for questioning."

"I need the money, Jenny. I need it to get a fresh start before I come back to get you."

"You made that promise, but I'm starting to doubt you're going to keep it."

"Baby please, just a little while longer and then we can go and start a family."

"I don't want any of our children to be linked to this. I never wanted you to do this is the first place."

"I know, but I had no choice."

"You did have a choice and you chose to ignore it!"

"Jenny please don't get angry with me."

"It's a little late for that!" she screams. "I want the Jacob I fell in love with, not this drug lord you've become."

"We're making so much money, I could take care of you."

"I want to be taken care of by an honest man!" Jenny sobs.

"I am…Jenny Baby…"

"Don't touch me!" she screams.

Emma knows it's time to make her move. She knocks loudly on the door.

"Who the hell could that be?!" Jacob asks.

Emma stands up straight and professional. She usually prefers civil confrontations, but it hardly ever ends up like that.

Jacob opens the door and Emma knows that this is the man she's looking for. Jacob Everette wanted on drug charges. 27 years old and first time trafficker. Emma hopes that since he's not a previous felon, he'll come quietly.

"Yes?' Jacob says. His dark eyes and pale skin stare daggers at the woman in the red jacket. He is much taller than Emma and well built, but he is very skinny, a weakness she might need to know. Behind Jacob, must be Jenny, a young girl in her twenties with tanned skin and raven hair. She wears a pink bathrobe and has her arms crossed defensively.

"Jacob Everette?"

"Yes?"

"Emma Swan, representative of the Boston Police Department, we have a warrant for your arrest."

The colour drains from Jacob's face and Emma never has the chance to say anything else because the man bolts past his girlfriend, towards the back of the house.

Emma doesn't hesitate for a second, she passes the woman in pursuit of the man. She has her gun at the ready and handcuffs on her belt. She weaves her way around some fallen furniture, Jacob's feeble attempt at slowing her down. She sees the back sliding door open and she races out into the cold air. She hears a chain link fence rattling as if someone is trying to scale it. Emma's eyes adjust to the dark and can see a skinny figure halfway over the tall fence. He's so desperate to escape that when one of his shoes becomes entangled in the fence, he removes it and keeps running.

Emma expertly climbs over the fence and chases after Jacob. She focuses on her own footsteps and the sounds of Jacob's frantic ones. She paces herself just enough that she won't be as tired, unlike Jacob who is obviously pushing himself. A rookie mistake, when it comes to escaping. Emma follows him through another neighbourhood and down a long alleyway behind a convenience store.

Suddenly, there's a loud crash. Emma finally sees a sprawled figure in the light of the store. He holds his ankle in pain. Emma doesn't have time to figure out how he got hurt, she sidesteps any obstacles in her way, grabs the man's struggling figure and pins with his face to the pavement. She knows the types of holds needed so she can get the handcuffs on the guy. She then says the Miranda rights, much like clockwork.

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney to be present during any or all questioning and if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you."

"Please let me go," Jacob begs as Emma successfully cuffs him. "I'm innocent and my leg… My leg is broken."

"I'll call you an ambulance," Emma says calmly, panting slightly from the chase.

She sees sweat beading on Jacob's forehead and his heavy breathing, meaning he was pushing himself in desperation to get away. She looks to see that there is broken glass and an overturned trash can lying behind them. Emma figures he cut himself on the broken glass especially with his one uncovered foot and in the shock, plowed into the trash can at a weird angle, causing him to injure his leg.

Emma reaches into her coat and pulls out her phone. A person, who Emma can assume is the shop owner, comes out in confusion.

"Nothing to worry about," Emma says calmly. "Everything is under control."

Emma hears Leroy pick up.

"Leroy, I need an ambulance and a police car on 7th Street, I've got Jacob Everette."

"We're on our way."

…

Emma stands in front of the convenience store as Jacob is loaded into the ambulance, handcuffed to the gurney. David is questioning witnesses to the chase for anything that Emma or Jacob might've done to bring harm to anyone else.

After questioning, David comes up to her.

"Good job tonight Emma," he says, patting her on the back.

"He was a rookie, he basically caught himself," Emma says modestly.

"Let's move along Lieutenant Nolan," Gold's croaky voice says from behind them. "We have a suspect to question."

David sighs heavily again and clenches his jaw. "Right away Commissioner. See you later Emma,"

Gold doesn't even acknowledge Emma as he walks past her and climbs into the police vehicle, David follows him.

"You're welcome," Emma growls as the car speeds off following the ambulance.

She then notices a figure in a bathrobe watching as the ambulance pulls away. Emma realizes that it must be Jenny.

Emma is hesitant to approach her, it was never part of her job to comfort any victims or family members, but curiosity gets the better of her and she walks up beside Jenny. Emma can see a few tears sliding down her cheeks as she stares in the direction of where the ambulance left.

"I suppose I should be happy he's gone, but…" Jenny says quietly. "I still miss him."

Emma just nods and stares in the same direction.

"I don't know why I fell in love with him in the first place, he lived so dangerously and I guess that's what drew me to him."

Emma swallows. "I know what you mean, sometimes it feels like you fell in love for all the wrong reasons, but part of you still wants to keep them safe."

"Exactly," Jenny sighs heavily. "I guess we're all weird like that. Drawn towards those who interest us and live on the edge."

Emma doesn't say anything else. She just nods again.

"Thank you," Jenny says abruptly.

"What for?" Emma asks.

"For waking him up and giving him justice. For sending him the message that what he was doing was wrong and that he needs to re-think his life. He'll be relatively safe now... I guess. I hated not knowing where he was. It drove me insane."

"Well… you're welcome," Emma says gently before she heads back down the alleyway.

She contemplates what just occurred and she supposed that she knew what the girl was talking about. Although it did not drive her insane after Neal left, she knows it still drives her son insane, except there is no justice to be had there.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure Lacey doesn't want presents for her birthday?" Emma asks, on the phone with Ruby.

"I'm sure, but be sure to bring dollar bills, though."

Emma rolls her eyes. She watches Henry as he swims laps at his team practice. Regina is also with her, checking her phone occasionally.

"I'll talk to you later," Emma says, hanging up on Ruby.

Regina is biting her lip. "What's wrong with Henry?"

"What do you mean?" Emma asks.

"He's swimming a lot slower than usual."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, look at him."

Emma peers over the railing balcony of the pool viewing gallery and picks her son out of the twelve other boys. She sees his light coloured cap go bobbing in and out of the water during breaststroke and sure enough, he's tailing his other teammates. Emma sighs, knowing this probably has to do with his mood and recent lack of confidence.

"Maybe I should take him out of swimming," she mutters out loud.

Regina doesn't say anything at first, just watches Henry go back and forth to the coach's whistle during front crawl.

"Wider arm strokes Swan!" the man hollers at him.

"I mean I know it's good exercise and all, but he's obviously not having fun," Emma says softly.

The pool was an Olympic size and very deep. It was divided by a large platform to allow other teams to practice as well. The water was always cold according to Henry and the chlorine stung his eyes and nose, despite him wearing goggles. The boys were only allowed to wear Speedo suits and had to have diving caps, adding to her son's mortification and dislike for the activity.

The coach's whistle blasts to stop them.

"Alright, everyone take a break. Re-hydrate. Swan, come and see me."

Emma leans over the railing of the balcony as she watches her son pull himself out of the water and walk towards his coach. Emma is practically over the railing, wanting to know what he's to her son talking about. Nothing positive probably.

Henry removes his swim cap and goggles, grabs his water bottle and goes to his coach. He knew the coach was going to criticize his lousy performance, which did not surprise him in the least. He used to like swimming a lot, but now his heart wasn't in it anymore, especially since his dad wasn't around to cheer him on. He had his mom and Regina, but it still didn't feel right.

"What's wrong with you Swan?" the coach says gruffly. "You're lagging behind everyone today. Your time is too high."

"I know," Henry mumbles, not wanting to look at his coach. He chugs from his water bottle.

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"Are you tired?"

"No."

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Then what could possibly be your excuse for such a poor performance?!"

Just then the synchronized swimming team comes out of the change rooms in their sleek and colourful bathing suits and diving caps. Several of them giggle at the boys in the Speedos and a few girls wave flirtatiously. Henry immediately turns bright red and wishes he had his towel to cover his skinny, speedo body. Most of the boys, including Henry, gawk and let their eyes wander towards the girls as their coach gathers the girls up, ready to practice their routine. One of the girls locks eyes with Henry and waves. He does his best to smile and wave back.

"If you don't get your time lower, I won't allow you to compete in the race next month. Understood?"

Henry suddenly looks back at his coach and nods obediently.

The swim team coach's whistle blasts right in Henry's ear. "Everybody back in the pool. Distance swim time."

Half the team groans, Henry included, as they climb back into the cold water. Music begins to play on the other end of the pool meaning that the girls are starting their routine. Henry would do anything to see them. He suddenly decides to put more effort into the distance swim so he could catch the end of their routine, besides he knew how to pace himself and distance swim was easier than any heats.

"Look at Henry go!" Regina comments. Emma is equally surprised that Henry has had a sudden shift in confidence, pushing himself and leading the boys in their distance swim. "He must've got an energy boost or something."

Emma looks over at the other end of the pool with the girls doing graceful acrobatics in formation.

"It might be more than that," she mutters.

…

"Good job boys, call it a day and we'll see you on Saturday," The coach calls, ending the practice. The coach then grabs Henry. "A much better performance Swan, keep it up."

"Thank you," Henry says before he goes towards his mom and Regina who are waiting for him by the change room.

He gives a reluctant smile at the two women when the music for the synchronized swimming team ends.

"Good job, girls, same time on Saturday," their coach calls.

All at once, girls in colourful swimsuits climb out of the water in search of their towels and water bottles. Henry's heart is racing as he weaves through the brightly clad ladies, trying to get to the change room when he accidentally bumps into one of them causing her to drop her water bottle. Henry immediately dives down to pick it up.

"I'm sorry," Henry says frantically as he hands her the bottle.

"It's okay," the girl says with a slight giggle.

Henry gets a good look at the girl, meeting her eyes for the first time. She has deep brown eyes that reflect his hazel ones back at him. Her bright swimsuit brings out the pink in her cheeks and the warmth in her smile. His heart his hammering against his chest as the girl removes her bathing cap to reveal long dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"I…uh… saw the end of the routine," Henry says, his face and ears flushing red. "It…it looks really good."

"Thank you," the girl says in a very harmonious tone. "We're hoping that routine takes us to the district finals."

"It's really good," Henry repeats.

The girl giggles a little bit and Henry forces a wide smile.

"You look familiar, do you go East Boston High School?" the girl asks.

"Yes I do, do you have Mr. Javier for Spanish?"

"Yes I do," the girl says earnestly. "It's such a small world."

"I guess it is," Henry says quietly.

"Violet," one of the girls say coming up to her. "Come on, your mom agreed to drive us to go shopping."

"Oh right," Violet says. "I'll be right there."

Henry looks at Violet again.

"I'm Violet by the way. Violet Roberts."

"Henry Swan-Cassidy,"

"Swan-Cassidy, that's a nice name."

"It's a bit of a mouthful. My parents wanted to keep their names when they met."

"Are those your moms over there?" Violet asks. She was fine if the boy had two moms, he'd be the first she'd ever met since she lived in a conservative family.

"Oh no," Henry says quickly. "The blonde one is my mom. The brunette is my mom's friend. She was also my babysitter for the longest time…not... not that I need a babysitter anymore. She just comes to cheer me on…"

"Oh okay…" Violet says, biting her lip.

"My Dad left awhile back," Henry blurts and turns bright red. He can feel tears coming to his eyes in embarrassment. He wants to just disappear into the pool deck now.

"Oh… I'm sorry," Violet says gently.

"It's okay… I guess I…"

"Come on Violet!" the same friend calls from the change room.

"I'm coming," she hollers back. "I should really go. I'll see you around Henry."

"Okay, bye Violet," Henry says and he watches as she walks away.

Henry wants to burst into tears then and there. He acted like a total idiot and girl probably thought he was a total freak like the rest of the school did. Why couldn't he control what he said? She probably thinks he's weird and won't ever talk to him again. He hangs his head and walks towards his Mom and Regina.

Emma watched the whole exchange and her son's mortified body language. Immediately her heart goes out to her son. He had never known how to talk to a girl, it was one of the things his dad would've taught him to do. Emma wanted to badly to help her son, but that kind of conversation would not go over well and probably hurt their relationship more. She needs to find a way to connect with Henry again, but she can't think of one. She once again curses Neal for leaving when Henry needed him most.

 _I wish Killian could help, but that might not work,_ she thinks to herself. _Why does raising a teenager on your own have to be so damn complicated?_

Regina offers to treat the family to hot cocoa for Henry's excellent effort today and to cheer him up after what happened with the girl. The three of them sit in silence in the café, Emma and Henry's cocoas having whipped cream and cinnamon on top, just the way they like it, but the warmth of the beverage does little to raise the cold relationship between mother and son.


	5. Chapter 5

"Mary I don't think Killian should come," Emma says. It's late Thursday afternoon, Emma had just come home from work when Mary Margret sprung a last-minute dinner invite on them.

"Emma, when are we ever going to meet this mysterious man? You've been going out with him for over two months."

"Among other things," Henry calls out. Emma shoots him a stern look before turning back to her conversation.

"We'd really like to meet him, Emma," she says.

"I want to make sure he's treating you right," David calls out.

"Please, Emma?" Mary Margret pleads. "We have too much food for just the two of us."

Emma sighs. "Alright, I'll text him and see if he's willing to come. You're lucky I didn't feel like cooking tonight."

"Thank you, we'll see you soon," Mary Margret squeals.

Emma ends the call with her friend and turns to her son. "Feel like dinner?"

Her son shrugs.

Emma texts Killian. _Hey, know that this is last minute but one of my friends invited us over to dinner. They want to meet you._

She waits a few minutes before her phone buzzes.

 _Killian: Sounds like fun. Looking forward to a home cooked meal._

 _ **Emma: You don't have to come, it's mostly out of consideration**._

 _Killian: I would like to meet some of your friends. Besides, Will has a girl over and I don't want to stick around._

 ** _Emma: Probably for the best. I'll come pick you up in a few minutes. Just a heads up, Henry is coming too. One of my friends is pregnant and the other is super protective of me, like a big brother._**

 _Killian: Don't worry, I'll be respectful ;)_

Emma smiles and then turns to Henry. "You ready to go?"

"Almost, can I ask you something?"

"Sure honey," Emma says gently.

"Uh, the girl I met at swim the other day, Violet. One of her friends is having a party and… she invited me…"

Emma's heart soars in excitement and relief. Henry was finally socializing and had the opportunity to make some friends. The prospect of her son having a girlfriend was a little unsettling and uncomfortable for her, but it was a start.

"It's tomorrow night and I was wondering…"

"Yes, you can go," Emma says with a smile.

Henry's eyes light up for the first time in a long time.

"Really?"

"Just a few ground rules. No drugs, no alcohol, no matter how much they might pressure you. No sex and since Regina and I won't be able to, I want you to call David to come pick you up. Do NOT get into the car with someone who may be intoxicated and stay safe." Henry nods, seemingly excited. "If you have your phone on you at all times, you can go."

Henry rushes forward and hugs his mother.

"Thank you!" he says, excitement. "Thank you, Mom!"

"You're welcome," Emma says, savoring the hug as she didn't know the next time he would hug her. "Now let's go pick Killian and head to David and Mary Margret's."

Henry smiles again and grabs his jacket. Emma grabs her keys and purse before locking the apartment.

The car ride over is really quiet, except for Henry playing a game on his phone. Emma pulls up in front of Killian's apartment complex and sees him standing under a streetlight, looking very shadowy and possibly suspicious. As he walks towards the car, Emma sees that Killian is wearing black jeans, a black leather jacket with chains hanging around his neck. Emma's heart races, he could not be any sexier than at this moment.

"Could you look any more like a biker?" she jokes as he climbs into the passenger seat.

"I wanted to dress to impress and besides, this is a last minute invite," Killian smiles as he leans over and kisses Emma's cheek. Emma's face flushes and she smiles at him.

"Ahoy Henry," Killian greets the boy in the back.

"Hi Killian," Henry says reluctantly, hardly looking up from his phone. Emma clears her throat and Henry looks up. He locks eyes with his mother and she prompts him to be a bit politer. He puts his phone down for a second. "Nice to see you again,"

"Likewise," Killian nods before turning back to Emma. Emma starts towards her friends' house.

"So what are your friends' names?" the docks man asks.

"David and Mary Margret Nolan."

"How long have you known them?"

"A couple of years, David and I work at the same police station."

"And what does the Lass do?"

"She's an elementary school teacher."

"And she has a tiny one on the way?"

"Yes, she's in her eighth month."

"Ah, very close then?"

"Close as can be."

"Do they know the gender?"

"No, but they've picked out names for either. They'll probably want to show me the nursery, they just finished it."

"I'll be sure to avoid it," Killian jokes.

"Just warning you, David is super protective of me and Henry after… you know, so be sure not to get on his bad side."

"Don't worry Love, I'll behave myself," Killian grins.

"You'd better, he's a cop and he has a gun so unless you have a bulletproof vest under that jacket, it's best to be civil."

"I'll keep that in mind," Killian says as the Bug pulls up in front of David and Mary Margret's house. "Modest little place, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's perfect for raising a family," Emma says, turning the engine off.

Henry leaps out of the car first and goes up to the front door without hesitation. Emma follows, with Killian right behind her, restraining himself from holding her hand.

"Henry!" Mary Margret's cheerful voice squeals. "It's so good to see you again. My goodness, you must've grown since the last time I saw you."

Henry puts on a pleasant smile and accepts Mary Margret's loving embrace, despite being pressed against her swollen belly.

Emma smiles when she sees her best friend and gladly accepts a hug from her.

"Hi Emma, how are you?" she says as if she hadn't talked to her in a long time.

"I'm fine."

Mary Margret's gaze goes past Emma and drinks in Killian as he steps from the shadows. "And you must be Killian, Emma's told me so much about you." The teacher extends her hand as a warm greeting and Killian accepts it.

"She has, has she?" Killian says, his eyebrow raising at Emma. Emma shoots him a death look before turning back to her friend.

"Come in, David's just taking dinner out of the oven. Do you like lasagna Killian?"

"I do enjoy it," Killian says, very surprised at how welcoming this woman is.

"That's good because there's plenty for everyone. Come in and meet David."

Emma removes her red leather jacket and hangs in on the coat rack, Killian follows suit, also removing their shoes and placing them next to the door. The house has a nice homey feeling to it, with a staircase to the right leading upstairs and portraits of family and friends plastered everywhere on the walls. There is a modern feel to the house, with vases and pieces of art hanging in the sitting room and soft furniture with a glowing electric fireplace. As they enter the kitchen, which is very chic and has an island in the middle, Killian sees the man who must be David standing in an apron eyeing the guests as they come in. Killian is immediately intimidated by this man and the fact that he is a cop adds to his anxiety. What takes off some of the tension is the fact that he's wearing a _Kiss the Cook_ apron, which brings the intimidation factor down a bit. David's jaw clenches as he examines Killian from head to toe. He was obviously very protective of his wife, Emma, and Henry. Killian swallows.

"David, this is Killian Jones," Mary Margret introduces the stranger.

Killian straightens his back a bit and tries to seem more presentable before he extends his hand. "Officer Nolan," Killian says quietly.

There is a pause before David meets Killian's outstretched hand and gives it a firm shake. "Mr. Jones."

"Just call him David," Mary Margret interrupts.

"Mary," David says. "You know I can speak for myself."

"Well let's all sit down while supper is still hot," the woman chirps.

Emma goes to assist her pregnant friend with setting the table in the adjacent dining room, while Henry helps brings the salad and garlic bread to the table.

David continues to eye Killian for a few moments, putting them in very uncomfortable silence. David removes his apron before speaking to him again.

"Would you like a beer, Mr. Jones?" David asks.

"Yes, if it's not any trouble."

David disappears from the room for a few minutes, allowing Killian to catch his breath and relax for a moment.

" _Coors Light_ okay?" the officer asks, coming back in.

"That's fine," Killian says, taking the opened beer from him.

"Come and eat," Mary Margret calls.

Emma sits on one side of the table, Henry on her right, Killian on her left, while the married couple sits across from them, serving the meal.

Killian takes and immediate liking to the meal, the lasagna has just the right amount of spice and cooked to a good temperature. The garlic bread is a bonus with the butter melting in his mouth. Emma eyes Killian and sees that his leg is shaking under the table. She reaches down and grabs his hand, trying to calm him.

"So Killian," Mary Margret says to break the awkward silence. "What do you do for a living?"

"I work on the docks," Killian says. "I help with loading and unloading cargo mostly."

"That sounds very interesting," the teacher says earnestly.

"It's really not, it can be long hours with rough and aged seamen."

"But surely there are some interesting people that you meet," Mary Margret prompts him.

"Oh for sure, I met one Lad who…"

Killian goes on to tell a few funny stories about the people he's met the harbor, at one point making Mary Margret laugh and Killian swears he sees David crack a smile. Emma manages to relax a little as everything seems to smooth out. Killian then goes on to ask about their jobs and David and Emma collaborate on stories from the police force and the tyrant that is Commissionaire Gold. Mary Margret talks about the children in her classroom and how she's teaching fairy tales at the moment. She also talks about some of the incompetent teachers she's forced to work with. For the entirety of the meal, Killian and Emma keep holding hands as if to reassure one another. Henry gets to talk a little bit too, telling them about the party he's invited to and his current swim team practices. David most definitely agrees to pick up Henry after the party and he warns the teenager that if here is a hint of alcohol on his breath, he would run the boy in. Killian can't tell if he's joking or not.

After dinner, Killian offers to help with the dishes while Henry asks to play a few video games with David. One of David's secret habits was online gaming and it was something he and Henry bonded over. Emma and Mary Margret wash the dishes while Killian dries them and listens to the two women chatter. Mary Margret attempts to keep Killian engaged in the conversation, but he mostly just wanted to listen to Emma and see what she was like with her friends.

Killian felt like he was meeting Emma's family, even if they were not related by blood. It was clear the couple loved Emma and Henry and saw them as a part of the family. Killian liked Mary Margret and even David, they were relatively nice and welcoming people. Mary especially was trying to make him feel included. Killian hadn't felt this much love in a long time. He had met Milah's parents once, at around Christmas time; her father took an instant disliking to him and drank a lot of alcohol during the visit. Her mother seemed very controlling and anti-social towards their guest. He could understand why Milah didn't like talking about her family because clearly they were dysfunctional and had problems. In her youth, she had tried running away several times and was embarrassed about her parents. When they got home, she apologized for her family's behaviour and Killian hugged and kissed her saying it was better to have a difficult family than none at all like him. He thanked Milah by having a wonderful night with her.

His brother, Liam had raised him since he was very small. His mother died when he was very young and his father left them at the first chance he got. Clearly, his sons were holding the man back and he had hardly cared for them at all. Killian lost contact with his father after Liam turned eighteen and could legally care for his brother. The last thing the docks man had heard was that his father married some woman in Florida and had a new son, also named Liam.

Killian was close to his brother, but Liam felt that his purpose lay in serving his country. He joined the Navy and served overseas. Killian had begun working at the docks in hopes to be the first one to greet his brother when he came home. However, two years ago, he was anticipating his brother's return except he didn't come back. The other naval officers disembarked from the ship and his brother was not among them. Killian asked the head officer what happened and the man regrettably told him that Liam had drowned several weeks before. He was attempting to help a trapped sailor on a sinking vessel and he became trapped below with the man. The ship went down and they were still trying to recover his brother's body and since they were at sea, they had not been able to contact Killian earlier. Killian was heartbroken and he demanded that his brother's body be returned as soon as possible.

Liam was eventually brought home in a coffin covered in the American flag and Killian had a quiet ceremony for his brother, laying him to rest next to their mother. He knew that his brother had died a hero's death but it did not make the loss any less painful.

He came apart for a long time. He gave up his job, not wanting to see the ocean again. He began drinking his sorrows away, hanging out with gangs, doing drugs and basically destroying his life. He was extremely embarrassed and wanted so badly for his brother to come off some boat, having miraculously survived and lecture him about his shameful behaviour.

He was at a bar when he met Milah and he felt that this was a sign from his brother not to give up. She helped him through the hardest times, supporting him every step of the way, allowing him to rebuild his life. When Milah died, he became broken again and this time he was sure he could not be repaired. He fell back into his old habits and knew it was only a matter of time before he joined his brother. That is until Emma walked in and saved him again. Killian believed that his brother had sent yet another angel to guide him on the right path. Even in death, Liam would always look out for his little brother.

He was a little off put by Mary Margret's warmth and eagerness, but it was certainly a nice change from Milah's family. It was clear that they loved Emma and would always protect her. He knew he would love to be in a family like this and maybe… just maybe this was his chance to have the family he always wanted.

After the kitchen is clean, Mary insists on showing Emma the new nursery. Killian stands out in the hallway watching the two of them interact with all the things that the happy mother-to-be wants to share. Soon, David comes to stand next to him.

"Do you care about her?" David asks.

Killian looks surprised at the question and knew that this was some kind of test that David was putting him through.

"I do," he says quietly.

"She's not like other people. She's seen things and done things she's not proud of. She's had her heart broken a few times."

Killian nods. "She's a lot stronger than I could ever be."

"You know that she's suffered a lot in the last few years?"

"Yes," Killian says gently.

"But if you intend to string her along and break her heart like Neal did, so help me…" David warns.

"I-I never want to hurt her," Killian says. "I'd rather die than to see her suffer because of me."

David frowns and looks at Killian, knowing this was a good answer.

"I care about her and Henry. I know she's been hurt, but I've also had some loss in my life, believe it or not. I would never leave Emma, she saved me… I will only ever leave if she says she no longer wants me."

There's a long pause as the two men watch Mary Margret show Emma the mobile they've hung over the baby's cradle.

"I doubt she'd leave you, believe it or not, you're the first person she's trusted and been allowed into her life for a long time."

"I understand. My intentions are honourable David I assure you. I've never been a lady's man in my entire life. My brother used to say that I would have to die and be reincarnated for that to happen. We're helping each other and developing at our own rate. We're taking it slow for the Lad's sake as well."

David nods. "Henry is also very sensitive and I see him as my son. You should know that when Emma hurts, he hurts as well."

Killian swallows. "I know it's hard for him."

"It is, he just doesn't like to show it."

"I will never try to replace the lad's father and he can let me into his life at his own rate."

David gives a small smile. He slaps Killian on the back gently and Killian feels like he's passed the test.

Soon, it's time for them to leave with Henry having school in the morning. Mary Margret hugs Killian goodbye and David shakes his hand, managing a friendly smile. Emma hugs her friends' goodbye before heading to Killian's apartment.

Henry ends up falling asleep in the back of the car as his mother pulls up in front of Killian's building.

"I'll walk you to the door," Emma says, quickly, undoing her seatbelt.

Killian looks surprised. "Usually the Lad escorts the lady to the door."

"Are you that old fashioned?" Emma inquires as they walk to the front door of his apartment complex.

"Not at all," he turns to face Emma. "Thank you for a wonderful night, Love,"

When they reach the door, Killian turns to face Emma. "Thank you for a wonderful night, Love,"

"Thank you for putting up with David and Mary Margret," Emma says, almost apologetically. "Sorry if they come on very strong…"

"It's absolutely fine. I like them and it's clear they care about you very much."

"They're like my family," Emma says, looking deeply into Killian's blue eyes. "i don't know what I'd do without them."

"I promised David that my intentions are honourable and that I care for you deeply," Killian says gently, brushing a lock of Emma's blonde hair out of her face. Emma feels shivers go down her spine as he leans in closer.

"I can say the same for you," Emma whispers earnestly.

Killian leans forward and kisses Emma deeply. He holds her head in his hands, flashing back to Friday night where he was able to have all of her for the first time. He saw her beautiful body for the first time and the pink glow in her cheeks as she kissed his chest and ran her hands down his back. He hadn't felt that close to someone in a long time and gave into his passions, happy to have the most beautiful woman in his arms.

When they break apart, Emma breathes heavily and smiles.

"Hopefully that will last until I see you again," Killian says.

"I'll text you on Saturday if I'm not too hungover," Emma smiles. She grabs hold of Killian and hugs him. Her face pressed against his shoulder, taking in his scent, trying to memorize it. She wants to remember his warmth and body for the next time that she sees him. She's learned to embrace every moment with him like it's her last.

"Good Night my beautiful swan," Killian whispers.

"Good night my handsome sailor," she says back.

They kiss once more before Emma heads back towards the car. She watches as he waves to her from his front door as she pulls out of the complex. As she drives home, Emma can feel the kiss still lingering on her lips.

 _Hey readers, sorry if this stuff is a bit boring. I'm just trying to set up the story. Don't worry, the catalyst/kidnapping will be in the next chapter. Please bear with me as things are about to change._


	6. Chapter 6

"Come on, pick something slutty," Ruby says to her friend over the phone as Emma searches through her closet for something to wear for their girl's night out.

"I can't Ruby," Emma says, pulling out a few outfits to examine with her phone under her chin.

"Why not?" her friend whines.

"Because first of all, I'm a mother and I don't want to scar my son permanently. Second, I'm more self-conscious than you are and third I'm not looking to hook up tonight."

"Right because 'Mr. Perfect' has already swept you off your feet."

Emma blushes and lets out a small giggle.

"How did David and Mary Margret react to him?" Ruby asks.

"They liked him, Mary absolutely adores him and David is warming up to him."

"It's good to know that he's liked. So, when are you going to introduce him to the rest of us?"

"Never," Emma says with a smile.

"Never? Why?"

"Because there's a 100% chance that you will scare him off by talking about my sex life and mortally embarrass me."

"Come on, you said he's a hot guy. You know that I love hot guys."

"That's another thing, it'll be less than a minute before you try hitting on him and try to take him for your own."

"Is he that good looking?"

"You'll never know," Emma smirks.

Ruby moans and Emma hears people chatting and plates being stacked in the background.

"Are you still at work?" Emma asks.

"Yeah, the only way I could get Grandma to agree to let me go out was that I work until after seven thirty and clean the back room before I left."

"That sucks,"

"Well, at least I've already got my outfit picked out."

"Let me guess, it's in red?"

"Is there any other colour that turns men on?"

Ruby, like her namesake, was obsessed with the colour red. She says it draws all the attention to her and highlights every angle of her body.

"I wish I was in your position," Emma sighs,

"Just wear that black dress I bought you for your birthday," Ruby insists.

"You mean the one with the slit up the left leg and a neckline so low that it practically splits the dress in half."

"Yes, that one."

Emma rolls her eyes.

"Come on Em, it hugs your curves and highlights your ass."

"Ruby, I don't need to draw attention to myself that much."

"Well find something and then go pick up Anna, Elsa, and Regina. I've got Aurora, the birthday girl, MeyLing, and Zelena."

"Alright, see you then," Emma says hanging up.

She takes another look in her closet trying to find something decent to wear. Eventually, she settles on a dark blue dress which skirt came down to her knees and hugged her curves nicely. She added a black cardigan to it and wore short heels so she would be able to walk if they were going bar hopping. She grabs her purse, applies minimal makeup and pulls her hair up into a simple bun. Once she's satisfied, she walks out to find Henry on the couch texting.

"You look good, Mom," Henry says.

Her son wore a collared plaid shirt and dark pants with sneakers. It was neat and not too dressy for his party.

"Thank you and you look handsome yourself," Emma says, reaching over to fix his collar. She then starts brushing his bangs out of his face. Henry ducks from his Mom's hands to avoid any more prepping.

"You nervous?" Emma asks.

"A little," Henry swallows.

"Just be yourself, stay close to Violet if need be and if anything goes wrong call, David."

"I know Mom," Henry sighs. He shoves his phone in his pocket.

"Violet's sister is picking us up at about 8 to go to the party," Henry says.

"Okay, well have fun and be safe," Emma says, hugging her son for a long moment.

"I will Mom, I promise," Henry says earnestly.

Emma kisses the top of her son's head and gives him one last smile before grabbing her keys, coat, and purse and heading out the door.

The night air is a bit brisk and Emma was glad she wore a cardigan. She slips into the driver's seat when her phone buzzes.

 _Killian: Have a good night_

Emma smiles and texts back, **_Thank you. Want a selfie of what you're missing out on tonight?_**

Emma poses with her camera, snapping a quick picture and sending it Killian.

Her phone buzzes back.

 _Killian: You're torturing me, Swan._

 ** _Emma: Glad to know I still turn you on._**

 _Killian: You will always turn me on. Good night Swan._

 ** _Emma: Good night_.**

Emma puts her phone in her purse and drives a couple of neighbourhoods over to pick up Regina. She's wearing a very skimpy, sparkling black dress that puts emphasis on her chest and butt. She wears sharp black heels that look almost lethal. Emma is entirely surprised considering Regina was often more the conservative type. She also wore diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, very heavy and much darker make-up, which included deep purple lipstick. Could she flaunt her wealth anymore? She looked like a model instead of the plain old Regina she's used to. It was clear to Emma that she wanted to score tonight, the craving companionship of any type and hopefully, the sparkly objects would attract a mate.

"Wow," is all Emma can say as her friend climbs into the car.

"Didn't think I still had it did you, Emma?" Regina asks in a very snooty voice.

"Not what I was thinking at all. I'd be more concerned about being robbed," Emma says, starting the car up.

"These diamonds were a gift from my first ex-husband and it's not often that I get to wear them,' Regina says.

Emma is surprised by her friend's tone, it's as if Regina has become a completely different person, and not necessarily in a good way.

The two drive in silence towards the further end of town where the two sisters lived.

Anna and Elsa had been inseparable since they were kids. They definitely weren't twins, with Anna having fiery red hair and Elsa platinum blonde, but they did things together and always had a great time. Elsa worked full-time at an ice cream parlor while Anna was trying to make it as a singer. She mostly performed in lounges or at special events and was struggling to get a CD together. Anna had big ambitions about moving to L.A. and becoming a star. Elsa, of course, tried to get her sister to set more realistic expectations, but Anna was very stubborn and quite impulsive. Elsa was more sensible and practical, a lot quieter than compared to Anna's feisty personality. Emma had met both girls at a party that Ruby had forced her to come to. Emma helped Elsa take her sister home at the end of the night when she became too tipsy. Emma was closer to Elsa because of Elsa's more laid back nature, much like her own, but Anna was fun to be around too, always making jokes and not always the best decisions.

Tonight, both girls came down the path of the house they shared together with Anna's long term boyfriend Kris. Kris was a veterinarian by trade and always had animals roaming around their property, including husky named Olaf and a reindeer named Sven. Anna wore a striped green dress that barely came past her thighs, while Elsa wore a sky-blue dress that shone a bit and had long sleeves. It was clear that Anna was being more daring with her outfit, even though she had a boyfriend. Emma had expected that Elsa would be the one trying to get a date tonight, but the more Emma learned about Elsa, the more likely it seemed that she didn't have any interest in having a companion. She was perfectly happy with her sister and her friends. Anna enters the back seat of the bug, hugs both Regina and Emma happily and scooting over to allow her older sister in.

Anna talks non-stop the entire way into the downtown area, asking about when Mary Margret's baby is due, where is Henry tonight and all the subjects in between. Once the women are greeted by the flashing lights advertising the casinos and 2 for 1 pints of beer, they go in search of their other friends through the packed Friday night crowds.

They had agreed to start in Lacey's favourite bar and see what happened next. Emma parks her car in a back alleyway and they walk to the bar, Anna still talking all the time.

"So Henry's going to a party?" Elsa says quietly, finally getting to ask Emma a question.

"Yes he is, he's going with a girl that he met at the swimming pool."

"Do you think that's safe?" Elsa gives a concerned look.

"Oh Elsa, you're such a worry wart," Anna chirps happily. "As long as he's with his friends, he'll be fine. It's really great that he has a girl that he likes." The red head then disappears into the blue lights of _The Blue Diamond Bar._

"The problem is, Henry doesn't have many friends," Emma mutters, following her friends inside.

The bar is already packed almost to the maximum with Friday night partiers, a few under-age drinkers, some co-workers meeting to take a break and many young people looking for hook-ups, which included the other half of their circle of friends.

Zelena waves them over to a table. Zelena wears a bright green dress that was even shorter than Anna's and that sparkled in the blue light. Her red hair is falling around her shoulders in waves of curls and she even colour coordinated her makeup with green eye shadow and lipstick with a greenish tint. MeyLing is dressed a little more conservatively, in a floral dress that reached her ankles and had tinted sleeves. Aurora has on a light pink dress with a matching shawl to go with it and she had crystal earrings dangling from her earlobes. Lacey is dressed in a navy-blue dress with several layers to the skirt and was wearing a crown to indicate it was her birthday. Ruby who put everyone to shame. Her dress barely covers her body at all. The bright red dress barely came below her butt and the front part of the dress was so low, it was clear she couldn't wear a bra with it. She wore bright red lipstick, had her streaked hair styled in the fanciest way imaginable and she wore red earrings to go with it. Her heels were also 3 inches high, making her tower over everyone in the group.

The ones at the table had already ordered starting martinis and smiled when their friends came up. They all hugged one another and wished Lacey a happy birthday. Emma orders herself a Rum Swizzle while Elsa kept to water with ice as she was going to be the designated driver. Regina orders a Black Velvet, Anna, a Frozen Sangria, Zelena, after her martini, had an Emerald City, Aurora, a Sleep Cycle, MeyLing had a Porcelain Warrior, Lacey a Belle of the Ball and for Ruby, a Ruby Tuesday.

The friends begin laughing and talking about their lives and current events. Emma is trying to drink as little as possible in order to not have a massive hangover the next day. She was having fun but having Henry around made her think more carefully about how much she drank, to set a good example and be responsible. She used to party and drink a lot when she was younger and she ended up doing things she regretted. Apparently, everything went out the window as the evening grew later.

"Come on Emma, it's my birthday," Lacey screams over the music when Ruby orders shots all around. She reluctantly did a round with her friends.

A dance floor is formed when the DJ came on the speakers. Ruby, Anna, Zelena, Lacey and surprisingly, Regina all went out on the dance floor, looking for some male interaction. Emma knew she wasn't drunk enough yet to even consider dancing. She stood by Elsa, Aurora and MeyLing, the more conservative and mature of the group.

It didn't take more than a few minutes for Ruby to start grinding with the first stranger she met, someone way younger than her, screaming her lungs out to the music the entire time. Anna also begins mashing with another guy. Elsa eyes her sister and sighs heavily. She thought that her sister would be more mature than this and think before she started to drink. Elsa had to make sure her sister did not go home with anyone and remained faithful to Kris. Emma had a similar dilemma, trying to make sure no guy came on to her. She had a few guys grab her ass and a few tried to persuade her to dance, but she turned them down flat. She was much more an observer.

Soon, the music begins to pick up so much that Lacey comes and grabbed Emma and the rest of the group to come and dance. They reluctantly join in, dancing in a group, trying to keep on the beat. Aurora tries to take a few pictures with her phone, but the lighting and constant movement made it hard. The heat is becoming intense and Emma is doing her best not to be bumped or being grinding with random strangers.

…

It is Ruby who suggests they try to find a place that had karaoke and almost all of them were starting to become intoxicated, if not already. They walk along the street together, bumping into strangers and laughing at the top of their lungs. Emma is still sane enough to watch where she was going but after another Rum Swizzle and a _Save Me_ cocktail, she is leaning dangerously. The rowdy crowd eventually finds a more Western style bar that had karaoke blasting at full volume. Ruby orders more shots around and Anna immediately begins singing her heart out, mostly Celine Dion songs and a few Whitney Houston. She is trying to show off as much as possible. It took a lot of convincing, but Elsa got up and sang with her sister _Don't Go Breaking My Heart_. Lacey sings _Purple Rain_ and Ruby belts out the most unusual version of _It's Raining Men_. The entire group then sing _Happy Birthday_ to Lacey, even though Emma mostly stands in the back harmonizing and felt relief when the song was over.

Then the free drinks start coming around. Emma eventually takes some time to sit at the bar in the far corner to gather her bearings. Her head is swimming in booze and she is covered in sweat. She sees Elsa trying to convince Anna to stop hogging the microphone for karaoke, Zelena has her tongue half-way down a guy's throat, with another one feeling her up. Aurora and MeyLing are sitting together chatting with a few other girls and guys and Lacey is on the other side of the bar, waiting for her turn to throw up. To Emma's surprise, Regina is talking to a brown-haired man who had been the DJ for karaoke. He had given Regina his hat to wear and they seem to be hitting it off. Ruby, who was the most intoxicated of all, was chatting with a girl in a corner booth, surrounded by several other strangers. Emma wasn't sure if Ruby was trying to talk them into doing a threesome or something.

Emma lays her head against the bar and shut her eyes, trying to gather her bearings again. The music is pounding in her head and she wishes that there was some cure for the hangover she would have in the morning. She starts thinking about Henry and what he might be doing. She fumbles for her phone, digging through her purse, completely oblivious to a man who walks past her and switched drinks with her. Emma feels like she needed some air and drank the last of her cocktail before heading outside to make a call.

The cool air bit at her face as Emma steps into the shadows behind the bar to get away from the loud music and bright lights, deciding to call David to ask if he'd picked up Henry yet. She is in the middle of dialing the number when she began to feel extremely dizzy, a lot more so than before. Emma tries shutting her eyes to get rid of the feeling, but it only made it worse. Her body begins to tingle unnaturally and Emma knew that this was not from being drunk. She sits down on the pavement and tried to gather her bearings. The sounds of the crowds in the bar were becoming muffled and Emma could hear her own heartbeat. Her head is spinning, or maybe it was the world. She can't hear or see anything anymore, it was all one big blur.

Emma hears a muffled sound and she can barely see and outstretched hand, obviously trying to help her. Emma assumed that it was the bouncer, here to make sure she was okay. She can barely stand at this point as the person was trying to guide her, but where she couldn't tell.

The last thing she remembers was a cold breeze and the sound of a car engine before blacking out completely.


	7. Chapter 7

_What time is it?_ Emma wonders. _Is it still dark out? Why do my wrists hurt?_

Her head is throbbing, still recovering from the alcohol she had the night before. Her ears are ringing and she was stiff all over.

 _Where is everyone? Did Elsa get me home? Why did I drink so much? If I'm bad, imagine Ruby. Why do my wrists hurt? Please don't tell me I got arrested?!_

She opens her eyes and she sees blackness. Nothing but blackness. She is lying on something soft, most likely a bed and the bed frame is squeaking when she moves.

 _It must be still dark out… Maybe Elsa let me crash at her place_.

There are very faint footsteps above her. They are deep and muffled against the ceiling.

 _Am I in a basement?_

A cold chill that radiates around her, cooling her sweating forehead confirms this theory. Emma's joints are sore and she wants to stretch them, but as soon as she tries, she's stopped by something and there is a distinct * ** _clink*_**.

"What the hell?" Emma says to herself.

She tries to pull her arms apart and again there's a * ** _clink_** * and her wrists hurt from the strain. She uses her hands to feels the material restraining.

 _Metal?! These are handcuffs!_

She moves her hands again and there is the clinking of the metal chain between the two cuffs. Emma's mind begins to race and her heart rate increases rapidly.

 _Am I at Killian's? Did we do something kinky? Is he into this type of stuff? Should we really be…?_

What causes her to reject this theory is that she still has her dress on from the night before and there's no sign of Killian laying beside her. There's the sound of a door opening and a light comes down what Emma can confirm are definitely stairs. The shadow cast at the top of the stairs is male, big and almost burly. The shadow pauses for a moment, takes in a deep breath before coming down the stairs very slowly.

Each step is agonizing to Emma as if it is building the suspense of who is in the shadows. She wants to call out to this figure, but her voice is caught in her throat. She wants to believe that it is Killian, but the sounds of this man's breathing is too deep and laboured as if he had just run a marathon and his footsteps are much heavier than her boyfriend's. Killian also lives in an apartment, there is no basement!

The man gets to the bottom of the stairs and stands to face Emma. His entire body is a clear sign that he is definitely not Killian, but Emma cannot see his face as the light from above, silhouettes his face.

"W-Where am I?" Emma manages to croak.

"I'm glad you're awake," the voice says. It's much deeper and is an American voice. It's quite a rough voice like the guy smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and from this, he has trouble breathing and talking.

 _Not Killian! Definitely not Killian_ Emma begins to panic in her head. _Did I hook up with some random guy?_ Emma tries to wrack her brain to match any faces she might've met at the bars last night. Her memories are still very blurry. _The last thing I remember was being behind the bar._ _What did I drink last night? I for sure didn't do any drugs._

"Who are you?" Emma asks, trying to remain brave, but she's becoming more and more scared with each passing second she's in this man's presence.

The man doesn't answer but he takes a step closer to her. Emma's stomach turns and she shifts uncomfortably, causing the bed to squeak.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Emma says more forcefully. "Why am I here?"

Again, the man doesn't answer, he gets a little bit closer to the point he's nearly on the bed. Emma's heart is in her throat as she hears a zipper and a belt buckle being loosened.

Emma immediately tries to struggle as adrenaline begins coursing through her veins. Her survival instincts are kicking in; by the way, she's positioned on the bed, doesn't give her battle with her arms, but she can use her legs. She pushes them towards the man, hoping to stab him with her heels if she has to. He should know that she will fight with every last fiber in her body to protect herself and the police training she's had will also come into play. She was going to protect herself in every way possible… she would NOT be taken advantage of by a total stranger.

The man stops as he sees how Emma is positioned. It's as if he's observing her, memorizing her pose.

"Don't come any closer you bastard!" Emma shrieks. She raises her voice as loud as she can, hoping that someone from upstairs might hear her.

The man takes another step closer and Emma aims for his most vulnerable spot with her feet. She swings, but the man simply steps aside, causing her to miss. She tries again, a lot harder this time and the man moves, not allowing her to hit her target.

He is obviously much agiler than she anticipated. Obviously, from the shape of his body, he is well-built, much stronger than Emma is, but strong did not always mean fast in Emma's experience. This man is well prepared.

"I like the feisty ones," he says in a heavy voice. His voice is now very heavy like he's turned on, by Emma's attempts to fight.

His entire sentence sends chills up Emma's spine and makes her skin crawl. She moves away from the shadow and towards the end of the bed, her legs ready to kick, as far as the handcuffs will let her go. She's now sweating hard and panting, scared, but trying to remain brave. She begins screaming loudly for help.

The man is completely calm through all of this. He finds her squirming very appealing.

"You can shout all you want, no one can hear you..."

Another step, another swing at him. This time Emma hits him square in the stomach.

The man keels over, gasping in pain from the sudden blow and Emma feels some satisfaction as if she's had a small victory against him. He would have his way with her, but not if she had anything to say about it.

The man remains keeled over for a few moments, breathing heavily again, trying to keep himself calm. He slowly stands up and eyes his prisoner harshly. He suddenly moves away from Emma into the darkness.

Emma wants to feel relieved but her body and mind tell her to stay on guard.

She hears the sound of glass and what sounds like metal on plastic. She has no idea what he might be trying to do. Maybe he had a gun or some type of weapon, something to use against her, but she'd faced almost every type of deterrent before, she would not be afraid. Her heart hit overdrive as she positions herself in the direction of where the man disappeared. She's sweating and very close to crying. The cold of the basement does little to help her body. She was going to fight to the death if she had too.

There is suddenly a long silence. It's as if the man has stopped breathing completely. Emma tries to use the light provided by the door leading out of this prison to find the man, but it's very dim and only concentrated on the back area.

Emma can only hear her own heartbeat, but she's ready for a sneak attack.

Suddenly, the man comes out from the darkness, from the opposite side of the bed, where Emma is most vulnerable. The man lands on her legs in such a way that she can't move. She lets out a scream of pain. He puts all his weight on her body, to keep her from struggling or hurting him. Emma tries using her head and body to throw the man off her, but suddenly his sweaty and thick hands push her head to the side, exposing her neck and trying to hold her head still. She can feel the man's hot breath against it. She breaks out in goosebumps and the tears have now broken the surface of her eyes. She was panting and now trying to scream. She let out a few strangled cries.

Something sharp was inserted into the main vein of her neck. She feels the pressure and knows that it is a needle. She's trying so desperately to fight, but the man keeps her head in place until whatever it was he was injecting her with is finished.

The man then releases her head.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" Emma screamed at the top of her lungs. She fights the handcuffs to the point that her wrists might start bleeding. She tries to throw the man off of her, but he keeps her pinned to the bed. She'd fought people who were much bigger than her, but she could feel her body's strength going. She can feel the drugs entering her system. She's resisting any way she can, her memories of training struggling to come to the surface, to fight the substance in her body. Her muscles began to ache and her head was starting to spin. She had to keep fighting. She had to!

In her struggle, she can feel the man undoing her dress and exposing her body to the linen of the bed. She can feel his hairy arms around her, skin on skin contact. His skin was iron hot and causing her body to shiver and spasm, but it could be the drugs. She tries to scream, but her voice is cracking. Her head is now throbbing. These fast-acting drugs were meant to stop her struggles. Emma is sobbing and screaming as the man begins to caress her bare back and kiss her neck. She was losing control of her body and she was at his mercy.

She is fighting unconsciousness now, trying to keep herself awake, trying to fight for the sake of all that was good to her.

The man has now kissed all the way up her neck, next to her ear. He puts her matted blonde hair behind it. He then whispers in her ear.

"My name is Arthur and you are now mine."


	8. Chapter 8

Henry wakes up to something very unusual… absolute silence.

He stretches out and rubs his eyes, gathering his bearings. He was surprised that his hearing was still working after the loud music at the party last night. He was still wearing his clothes from the night before because he was too exhausted to move anywhere but to bed.

He'd had an awesome time, dancing, talking with his other peers, watching games of beer pong, hanging by the pool and pond, taking pictures and getting to know Violet. Henry had spent most of the night with her and he was absolutely amazed that she wasn't some wild party animal. She did let her hair down, dancing and socializing, but she didn't drink or do drugs. In fact, she drank punch with him and even introduced him to some of her friends. Her friends were very intoxicated and were putting their hands on any boy in their sight, including Henry himself. He tried to stop their advances, but he did end up in a few grinding sessions with some of them.

Henry felt out of place most of the night. He didn't know the songs very well; he didn't know what was considered "dancing" and he was forbidden to go near drugs or alcohol. He had been offered some, but he turned them down. His mind flashes back to a moment during the party that stood out to him.

…

"I told you no, I don't want any!" Henry shouts at a guy over the music.

"What is wrong with you?" the guy, who was too old to be in high school groans. "This is stuff is top billing."

"I don't care," Henry says, trying to get around the guy who was standing in his way of escape.

The guy turns red, clearly high beyond belief and becoming angry by Henry's refusals. His heart began to race, thinking he might have to fight to get away.

Suddenly, Violet comes up to him and grabs his arm. "Henry, there you are, we've been waiting for you to come and play beer pong, everyone knows you're the best."

Henry is speechless, not knowing how to respond, but Violet drags him away from the man. His face is burning red because of Violet touching him. She pulls him through the crowds of hot, sweaty and drunk teenagers, who are screaming their lungs out to the music. A couple of girls try to coax him over, but Violet guides him away from the flashing lights and loud music. They get further away from the house, down by what might be a small pond or a brook. By the time she stops, the music is merely a deep beat and there's finally a relief from all the lights, so much so that he can see the moon and stars.

Henry lets out a sigh of relief and Violet lets go of his hand. She moves to the water's edge and Henry sees her remove her shoes. She sits on the bank and dips her feet into the water. She lets out her own deep sigh of relief.

With reluctance, Henry goes and sits down next to her, taking his shoes off and dipping them in the cool water next to her.

"You're welcome," Violet says in a playful voice.

"What? Oh yeah, thanks for saving me back there."

"Not a problem. I knew if you were on your own for too long, someone would come after you, try to coax you into buying drugs. Happened to me the first time too. Gary is the neighbourhood drug dealer and always finds his way to all the parties, hoping to make some cash. He doesn't know how to take no for an answer. He's a real jerk."

Henry is speechless. He sees Violet's face glow in the almost full moon. He thinks she looks very beautiful, her hair pulled back into a ponytail with curls. Her make-up is a little smudged from sweating, but nonetheless, she looks pretty.

"This happens to all newcomers at parties; they try to humiliate you for not joining in on the illegal activities. They'll call you a buzz kill and you won't be invited to any more parties. That's why I said you were good at beer pong, just to give you some cred." she explains. "Otherwise, they'd call you something very unpleasant or just make things worse for you."

Henry remains silent for a little longer.

Violet sighs heavily again. "I don't know why I keep coming to parties like this."

"You don't like them?" Henry asks.

"Not really, they're so loud and everyone thinks you need to be drunk or high to have a good time. The first time, Julia had a party like this, I was called a wimp, among other things because I refused to drink or do anything stupid and dangerous. The only way I got around it was that I pretended to binge drink and claimed I threw up all night in the bathroom. In reality, I was reading in the locked bathroom, waiting for my sister to come pick me up."

Henry was surprised by Violet; he had assumed that she was like a lot of girls her age, into boys, make-up, parties, drinking, smoking, dressing in provocative clothing and not caring about anything. But Violet was very different. He saw that she was drinking punch like he was, she was dressed rather conservatively, as if to not draw attention to herself, and wasn't decked out in layers of make-up.

"Not what you expected huh?" Violet asks.

"W-What?" Henry stammers.

"The party?"

"Uh yeah, it's really extreme and very loud like you said."

Violet giggles softly. "That's why I brought you down here. I always come down here when I can't stand being near my drunk friends or creeps anymore. I like the quiet and if gives me some privacy and solitude. It allows me to appreciate the smaller things in life. No one's trying to hit on me, no one wants to grind with me, no one is trying to… you know?"

Henry nods, mostly understanding what she was saying. Violet puts her cup to her side and lifts her skirt, going deeper into the pond. Henry swallows and follows her, rolling his pants up.

"I love when you can see the waxing moon," Violet says. The white orb above them reflects against the surface of the pond, rippling as the two move about in the water.

"Over there is The Big Dipper and there is Perseus," she points upward. Henry looks up in awe as she names the different constellations above them.

"My dad likes to say I have stars in my eyes and he's right," Violet says quietly. "I just like to be in open spaces, gazing at the abyss."

The two of them are quiet for a few moments, staring up at the vast stillness of space.

Henry swallows and then looks at Violet for a long few moments. He liked her and she clearly liked him. He decides to do something spontaneous.

He scoops up some water and playfully splashes her. She shrieks at first from the cold, but then she splashes him back. Then it's all out war. The two are laughing, becoming soaked but having fun while doing it. For the first time, in a long time, Henry is smiling and enjoying his time with his new friend…

When they come out of the water, both are drenched all the way through and a little cold as the autumn air rustles through the surrounding trees and water plants. They sit out on the bank of the pond to dry and then they lay back on the grass, where Violet tells Henry more about the stars and some of the stories behind them. Henry just listens with his eyes wide in fascination, not at the stars, but at the girl with the amazing laugh. The sounds of the party are non-existent to them now, it's as if they are in their own little world. They talk for a long time, about themselves, but Henry doesn't have much to say about himself that is very happy compared to her. Violet has a complete family; parents, an older sister and a younger brother. She's in the band at school, even though she sucks at the clarinet, and part of the synchronized swimming team, which he already knew. She loved science, and obviously, astronomy was her favourite. She came from a Christian family and liked to help the poor when she could. Henry is so amazed by this girl; she has the most amazing life and he envied her in every way. He originally tried to shut down her attempts at getting to know him, but she coaxes more out of him in one evening, that what his mother could get out of him in a month.

Eventually, the two fall silent, having gotten to know each other very well by the end. They sit on the quiet bank, listening to the crickets and the unfortunately loud beat coming from the party.

Henry sits up and Violet soon follows. They sit next to each other and Henry's heart races. He turns to look at Violet and thinks about kissing her. The problem is, he's never done that before and he becomes sweaty and nervous. He admires Violet's deep brown eyes and sees the moon reflected in them. His face and ears turn red again, he was thankful it was dark so she couldn't see how nervous he was. His breath became heavy and he leaned in. Violet closed her eyes, Henry does too.

Except they end up bumping noses and Henry leans back, very embarrassed. He apologizes to her, knowing he just blew his shot with a girl he liked and he's on the verge of tears. However, Violet wasn't going to give up so easily. She cups her hand around his flushed face and guides him towards her. Their lips meet for a moment and Henry's heart explodes in happiness and joy. This was his first kiss and it may have gone wrong at first, it was everything he had imagined and more. It was very romantic and it was a girl he really liked.

They kiss for a few moments before they lean apart. Henry smiles and Violet does too.

…

Henry could still feel the kiss on his lips. He meant to text Violet after she gave him her number, but he overslept a lot. The problem was, the apartment was too quiet. He didn't expect to hear his mom come in last night and he knew better than to disturb her, knowing she probably had a hangover.

He goes into the kitchen and gets himself some cereal. It's almost noon. He turns on the coffee machine in case his mom needs something to lessen the pain.

He opens the curtains in the living room, letting the afternoon light in and kicks back with his cereal. He turns on the T.V., keeping it at low volume, and watches a show their DVR recorded the night before. He texts Violet and asks how her friends were. Violet told him she knew better than to disturb her friends while they were nursing hangovers. Henry told her his mom probably had one too.

The afternoon passes slowly, Henry plays a few video games, showers does some homework and still doesn't hear anything from his mom's room. The coffee becomes cold and Henry doesn't see any sign of his mother. He knows he has to go to swimming practice later and he needs a ride from Emma.

At about 3, he goes to pack his gear and he sees that his mom's room is empty. Very empty, the bed is still made, it hasn't been touched. Henry gets a little nervous; he checks the bathroom or anywhere else his mother might be, but the apartment is small so it's unlikely that she could've passed out somewhere he wouldn't have known about.

He texts his mom but gets no response. He calls her phone but gets voice mail. He tries again a few minutes later and still nothing. It's very weird because his mom always keeps her phone on in case she's needed at work or he needs her.

He then assumes that she might have crashed at one of her friend's place. He goes through Emma's phone book and finds her friend's cell phone numbers. He tries Regina first.

"Hello?" a scratchy voice asks.

"Regina?"

"Yes, Henry is that you?"

"Yeah, I was just calling to see if my mom was there."

"No she's not here, she didn't come home last night?"

"No."

"That's very weird. You should try Elsa and Anna's. Elsa was the designated driver last night and she may have taken Emma home last night."

"Okay."

"Talk to you later."

Henry finds Elsa's number and calls.

"Hello?" a sweet voice answers.

"Elsa?"

"Yes, Henry is that you?"

"Yes, I was calling to see if my mom was there."

"No… I thought she might've walked home last night or taken a taxi. She left the bar when no one was looking… I was worried but I was more worried about my inebriated sister and Lacey."

"Is Lacey there with you?"

"Yes, she is. I've been trying to text your mom too, asking if she's okay. I called her too, but I'm getting voice mail."

"So am I,"

"That's so unlike her," Elsa says, mostly to herself. "She might be at Ruby's, but try her at your own risk because she was the drunkest out of all of the others."

"Okay," Henry says.

"If you can't find her, call me back," Elsa says.

"Sure, bye," Henry says.

He dials Ruby's number, but he gets voice mail. He tries _Granny's_ diner too and Granny tells her that Emma did not come home and neither did Ruby last night.

He tries everyone else on her contacts list, but no one has seen his mom. Aurora suggests that he call Killian. She may have gone to his apartment by mistake.

Henry sighs, knowing he doesn't want to call the man who is replacing his dad now, but it's getting late and he needs to find his mom.

"Hello?" an Irish voice says from the other end.

"Hi, Killian?"

"Hi Henry, what can I do for you?"

"Is…is my mom there?"

"No, I haven't seen her since Thursday, why?"

"Because she's not at home and she's not at any of her friends' houses."

"That's very odd," Killian says.

"I need to find her in order for her to take me to swim practice."

"Have you tried Regina?"

"Yes,"

"Elsa…?"

"Yes. I've tried everyone."

"That's very odd. I'm just hoping she didn't get arrested or something."

Henry's heart drops when he says that, he can't imagine his mom behind bars.

"I'll try to get through to her. Try Mary Margret and David son."

Henry hangs up and calls them. He gets a no from both. It's getting late and Henry asks if David can drive him to swim practice. The officer agrees and he would try to get through to Emma while he was in the pool. Both sound very concerned that Emma has left Henry to his own devices and is not answering her phone.

…

During the swim practice, Henry tries his best to focus on his backstroke, but he keeps looking up at David in the balcony area, calling and texting, trying to find Emma.

"Faster Swan, Faster!" the coach yells.

Henry does get to see Violet again and she gives him a warm hug, but he can't enjoy it as he's still worried about his mom. Violet notices his distance, but she doesn't have time to question him as she has a math test to get ready for and had to rush home to start studying.

David takes Henry to their place for dinner and Mary Margret is equally worried, she's pacing about the kitchen as she cooks, frantic and nervous. The three of them hardly say anything at dinner, just that David was trying her phone seven times during the swim practice and still got voice mail. He checked the hospitals, the station, the homeless shelter and anywhere else Emma might've ended up. Mary Margret mutters that something must be wrong. All of them knew Emma would not disappear like this, leaving Henry alone.

David is reluctant to drop Henry off at the apartment alone and Mary Margret insists they should all go back to the Swan apartment in case Emma was back and freaking out about Henry being gone. The couple packs an overnight bag and takes Henry back home. None of them speak as Henry tries his mom's phone three more times, becoming more frantic and uncomfortable.

The apartment is dark when they get there and David begins going through the place, looking for some sign that Emma was there. He calls Lacey and Ruby and asks what bars they went to last night; he hopes that maybe Emma is still there or they know where she is.

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door and Killian enters. He looks just as nervous as the others. He's shaken and looks as if he's been crying.

"Any sign of her?" he asks.

"None," David says. "But I'm going out to the bars that they went to, maybe they can give us a clue to where she went."

"I'll come with you," Killian says. "Two people can be advantageous."

David agrees and the two men leave.

Henry sits on the couch, trying to watch a TV show, but he couldn't concentrate. _Where is his mom? Could she have run away? Was she hurt? Was she dead?_

Mary Margret made some hot chocolate for both of them, with whipped cream and cinnamon on top, but neither can drink it.

The night becomes later and later and Mary Margret suggests that Henry tries to lie down for a little while. At least she wasn't insisting he go to sleep. She agreed to stay up with both their phones in case Emma called or David.

Henry lays in his bed for a long time, listening, waiting. Mary Margret sat outside in the hall, trying to keep it together, while the baby kicked at her insides. She became more and more exhausted and weary with worry. She knew Emma would never disappear like this without telling someone.

When the door opens, Mary Margret rushes, hoping it's Emma, but the two tired men walk in instead.

"Nothing," David says. "We found her bug downtown, but other than that, nothing."

"We asked the lads at the bar and they said the bouncer saw her walk behind the bar and he never saw her again."

Mary Margret begins to break down. She collapses into her husband's arms in grief and in fear. Her best friend was missing. David and Killian were on the verge of tears as well. David helps his wife to Emma's unused bedroom to lie down before she hurt herself or the baby. Killian is exhausted and looks down the hall to see Henry peeking out. Killian wishes he could comfort the lad in some way, but he knows it would only make things awkward. He reaches for his phone and dials the police.

"Yes, I would like to report a missing person…"


	9. Chapter 9

Regina wakes up to the sound of her phone buzzing on the nightstand. Her clock radio reads 4:00 in the afternoon, which doesn't surprise her in the least. She had a very late night and her head still hurt from all the booze. It was a long night, but a very successful one…

Regina checks the caller ID and it's Henry. She's in no shape to drive him anywhere or to come to his swim practice, but knowing it could be important, she answers.

"Hello?" she says in a scratchy voice.

"Regina?"

"Yes, Henry is that you?"

"Yeah, I was just calling to see if my mom was there."

"No she's not here, she didn't come home last night?"

"No."

"That's very weird. You should try Elsa and Anna's. Elsa was the designated driver and she may have taken Emma home last night."

"Okay."

"Talk to you later."

Regina hangs up. Emma had gone off the radar last night after they sang _Happy Birthday_ to Lacey. She assumed that she had probably taken a taxi or gotten a ride home from Elsa and she just didn't see her the rest of the night. Emma was Henry's mother, not her, and if she had become reckless, she would have to face her own son. She wasn't really paying attention, as she had her own situation and well-being to worry about.

Regina wraps the sheet around herself and looks at the mess on her bedroom floor. Her heels, one of them is broken, lay by the slightly opened door. Her dress and pantyhose lay in a mangled mess leading to the bed and her bra hangs from the bedpost. One of her lamps is knocked over and she still has her jewelry on. A wrapper lays near the side of the bed, confirming everything she had hoped for.

Regina felt very proud of herself. She hasn't had a spontaneous night like that in a long time, in fact, she hasn't had a man in her apartment either. She smiles confidently to herself, so pleased that she still had it. She obviously wasn't looking for anything serious, those long-term relationships had always let her down, but a hook up like this was just what she needed to feel fresh and new again. She wasn't aging into a spinster that took care of other people's children, she was strong and gorgeous woman… enough said.

The thing was as she searched around her mess room was the lack of male clothing scattered in the chaos and confusion of last night. She frowns to herself, but the door was ajar. Maybe the DJ had already gotten dressed and was watching TV or something. However, there was no noise in the apartment.

Regina wraps the sheet tighter around herself as a makeshift dress and weaves through the mess to her bedroom door. She looks out into the hall and there's no sign of life. She searches her bathroom, wondering if he might be taking a shower, which would be a great place to have a re-run, and the sitting room, maybe finding his coat and shoes. Nothing and nobody. She enters the kitchen and sees a cold cup of coffee on the kitchen counter and a note next to it. Holding the sheet awkwardly, Regina reads the note.

 _Dearest Regina,_

 _I'm sorry, but I didn't want to wake you. I know that this is impersonal, but I had to be on my way. I had a great night last night but I have another gig to manage tonight. Hope to see you again soon, my number is at the bottom._

 _Graham_

Regina sees his number below. Her heart sinks a little bit, disappointed she didn't have the chance to get to know this handsome stranger a bit more. All she could remember was that his name was Graham, he was a full-time DJ and loved to be spontaneous. When Regina had suggested some fun elsewhere, she was wearing Graham's hat at that point and they were both sharing a pint of beer, he had jumped at the chance to follow her home.

She looked at the kitchen table and saw Graham's hat was laying there, most likely left from the night before. She reaches over and puts it on her head and smiles.

…

"Anna get up!" Elsa says. She had just finished her shift at the _Arendelle Creamery_ and her sister was still in bed, even though it was after 4:00 in the afternoon. Elsa's braid was a mess of its own and she was covered in cream and smelled like the dairy section at the local market.

"Five more minutes," the red head mumbles.

"You said that four hours ago," Elsa says, tossing a pillow at her sister.

Anna's head is throbbing and she pulls the blanket over her head, moaning loudly. She's still in her clothes from the night before, despite them being sweaty and disgusting. The only thing she had managed to take off were her shoes. Elsa had placed an aspirin and glass of water next to her bed and a trash can nearby in case she threw up while she was at work.

"Have we learned a lesson about too much of a good thing?" Elsa asks. She was growing tired of her little sister's wild antics. It was time that she grew up and took more responsibility for her life

"Nope," Anna says with a small smile. Her red hair is a rat's nest when she faces Elsa. Her make-up is very smudged and her eyes are bloodshot.

"When will you ever grow up?" Elsa says, rolling her eyes.

"Never," Anna says.

"Shower and get dressed. I'm pretty sure Kris wants you at least kissable by the time he gets home from work."

Anna sticks her tongue out at her sister as Elsa walks down the stairs, Olaf the husky at her heels. She goes down to the kitchen to clean herself up from the sticky syrups and messy cream all over her. She tosses her apron into the washer as she goes.

Lacey sits at the kitchen table, drinking tea to clear her head and settle her stomach. Her tiara is laying next to her and her dress was stained beyond belief.

"How are you feeling?" Elsa asks her as she gets herself a glass of water.

"Like crap," Lacey says. "It's always a let down after your birthday."

"You feel 24?"

Lacey hiccups and drinks some more tea. "I feel like I'm 21 all over again. It's not great, but it's nice to feel young again, even if the feeling is fleeting."

Elsa smiles as she undoes her hair at the sink. Olaf begins to whine at her feet and thumps his tail. Elsa leans down and grabs his water bowl to re-fill it. She also had to remember to feed the animals out back. Besides Sven the reindeer, Kris had a chicken coop, a pond of koi and an enclosure of rabbits, all of which were shivering in the autumn air.

Elsa sits down with her friend. "You're not that old you know," she says and Lacey smiles.

Just then, Elsa's phone rings a pretty tune, she picks it up.

"Hello?" she answers.

"Elsa?" a familiar, young voice asks.

"Yes, Henry is that you?"

"Yes, I was calling to see if my mom was there."

"No… I thought she might've walked home last night or taken a taxi. She left the bar when no one was looking… I was worried but I was more worried about my inebriated sister and Lacey."

"Is Lacey there with you?"

"Yes, she is. I've been trying to text your mom too, asking if she's okay. I called her too, but I'm getting voice mail."

"So am I,"

"That's so unlike her," Elsa says, mostly to herself. "She might be at Ruby's, try her at your own risk, she was the drunkest out of all of the others."

"Okay," Henry says.

"If you can't find her, call me back," Elsa says.

"Sure, bye," Henry says.

Elsa hangs up with a frown on her face. She turns to Lacey.

"That was Henry, he was wondering if Emma was here."

"Speaking of her, what happened to Miss Swan? I lost track of her after karaoke."

"I don't know. I remember driving you, Anna, MeyLing, and Aurora last night… Both Zelena, Ruby and Regina hooked up last night."

"Regina? Really?" Lacey says in surprise.

"I was surprised as well. I was looking for Emma, but Anna was on the verge of starting a fight with the bartender, I knew we had to call it quits then."

"What time was that?"

"Just after 2:30."

"Well, she wasn't as drunk as everyone else, she probably got a taxi home."

"But Henry says he hasn't seen her there all day."

"Maybe she went to Killian's?"

"Maybe,"

Elsa frowns and texts Emma. She waits awhile for a response. She sends a few more messages until Olaf begins barking to go out, distracting her.

…

Ruby snorts awake, wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth. Her dyed locks are a huge mess as her eyes adjust to the light. She has no idea where she is and her stomach suddenly turns and she rushes down the hall to the bathroom. She barely makes it before her stomach empties the booze from last night.

Most of it is a blur, but since she is in a strange house. in panties and a bra, she could tell it was a good night.

When Ruby looks at herself in the mirror, she sees dark circles under her eyes, smudged lipstick, some of which is not her own and a massive knot in her red hair.

She hears a snore and she sees a guy passed out in the bathtub, tattoo sleeves all up and down his arms and Sharpie marker all over his face. Ruby sneaks back into the room from which she came and finds three other individuals in the queen-sized bed. One female and two male. Ruby can't help but smirk at herself. She's never had a foursome before if there was such a thing, but last night must've been epic.

The place is a total wreck. Clothes and condoms are scattered about. Glitter and empty booze bottles lay next to a TV that is showing static and there's a poster of David Bowie taped to the ceiling fan as if he's dancing in circles. There's an empty birdcage by the open window and Ruby was afraid the bird had flown the coop. Several curtains were torn down and there was a busted pillow with feathers everywhere in a corner by an old _X-Box_ system.

One of the males is halfway in the bed and halfway off, he's snoring loudly, his tightie whities hardly covering his posterior. The other male is next to him, his arm dangling over the headboard and he has Sharpie doodles written all over his body. He had lipstick marks all over his neck and chest, as well as a scarf wrapped around his bare ankle. The girl was the only one Ruby could remember the name of, Dorothy. Her dark curls were a matted mess, sprawled out on the only pillow that apparently, she and Ruby had been sharing. She's wrapped in a sheet and looked almost delicate and innocent. Her face was formed into a little frown as if she were concentrating. Ruby found it very cute, almost sexy. The girl was very pretty and Ruby vaguely remembers talking and laughing with the girl. Her face was also smeared with lipstick and Ruby recognizes it as her own. She touches her face for a moment and slowly wipes away the marks.

She then goes searching for her clothing in the disaster area, having to avoid stepping on a whoopee cushion and a rubber chicken while she looked. She found her dress hanging on the back of a desk chair and her phone dangling on the end of a pizza box. She sees she has a few missed calls, most from her grandmother and a few texts, also from her grandmother.

 _Grandma: Emma's son is calling for you, wants to know where she is._

Ruby pockets her phone and stops to stare at her hook ups for a long moment. She sees an opened Sharpie on the ground near some boxer shorts. Quietly, she creeps over and writes her name and number on Dorothy's arm.

…

MeyLing breathes deeply as she concentrates on her yoga techniques. Breathing in and out, carefully, as to not to strain herself. She checks the time on her phone. It was almost time for her to go to her "ballet" class. She had taken up the sport when she was very young, mostly to gain approval from her parents. She enjoyed the endurance and grace she gained from it and mostly to get her family off her back. When she had gotten a scholarship to the Boston School of Dance, her parents insisted that she take it. She did yoga to loosen her muscles and keep up her flexibility.

She goes into the Downward Dog pose, listening soothing music. This helped her feel in control and less stressed.

Her phone buzzes and she picks it up.

She speaks to her parents in Chinese, telling them she was leaving for a little while. She never missed a rehearsal.

Once she's done on the phone, MeyLing prepares to leave.

She gathers up her skates and hockey equipment. Her 'ballet' was really a cover for what she truly loved to do, hockey. The thrill of skating and crashing into other women in her quest for the puck. She may be at the School of Dance, but she competed on the school's hockey team and was V.I.P. last year. She was hoping to win the title again this year, and maybe team captain the next. She did hate lying to her parents. She used to love ballet a lot but she loved the rougher and tougher things in life.

On her way to the bus, MeyLing's phone rings and Emma's son asks if she's seen her. MeyLing tells her no and suggests trying Zelena or Aurora

…

Zelena's fingers tap on her desk in her office. She's waiting for her next client to arrive and it was getting late. She wanted to get home and open another bottle of wine with the two men she had the privilege of meeting last night. Both were young slackers with nothing better to do today and the red head wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Of course, being a high-powered attorney mean she usually had to work long hours and never have any fun, except for the day before. She couldn't wait to have a re-run of last night's plays.

Both men were extremely sweet and very energetic, something she adored and wanted in all the men she dated. She hadn't had a good night in a long time and to wake up the next morning with two men both with their arms wrapped around her, it made her heart race.

Just then her phone rings. Not her work phone, her personal phone. The number was unfamiliar and Zelena assumed that it was her client calling to either tell her he was on his way or canceling. Zelena was hoping the latter.

"Zelena Jordan, legal attorney, how can I help you?"

Instead, a young boy asks if this is Zelena.

"Yes. It is."

"I'm Henry, Emma's son."

"Oh, that's right Henry. How can I help you, child?"

"Were you with my mom last night at the party?"

"Yes."

"Well, did she come home with you or tell you where she was going?"

"No, I was with… others last night. I didn't see your mother. Your mother is a 'do it herself' kind of woman and it is unlikely that she'd share with me if she was leaving."

"Well, when was the last time you saw her? Can you remember?"

"About one a.m.? Why?"

"Because she hasn't come home all day and she's not answering her phone."

"Oh…" Zelena says, not really sure how to respond to this boy. "Well, I'm sure she'll turn up soon, honey. I mean she is a responsible person, is she not?"

"Yes but not right now I…"

Suddenly the phone beeps, indicating another call.

"I'm sorry Henry, I have an important call coming through. Check with Elsa or Aurora darling, I'm sure she's with them. Nice talking to you."

"But…"

Zelena hangs up and switches her calls. She hears some pleasing news that her client has had to cancel due to his car breaking down and she's free to pack up and leave.

Her heart jumps for joy as she drives home to her two men.

…

Aurora is making an early dinner for herself and her beloved family. Last night was a lot of fun, but she would have to treat the stains on her dress. Her son, Phillip Jr, plays in his high chair, happy to have his mommy back home again. Aurora hums as she cooks the meal, making her husband's favourite as a special treat. Tonight, was his birthday and Aurora had a special night planned that included his favourite meal, leaving their son with a babysitter and going dancing. She planned not to drink tonight, except one glass of champagne in celebration and dance the night away.

She and Phillip had met while they were both taking ballroom dancing classes. Aurora had wanted to try something different and she and Phillip were paired together. They danced together for the rest of the sessions, although not very well, laughing and enjoying each other's company. The doting wife was planning to re-capture that magic tonight.

Just then, her phone rings and she grabs it, putting it on her shoulder as she stirs a pot on the stove.

"Hello?" she says.

"Hi, is this Aurora?"

"Yes,"

"I'm Henry, Emma's son."

"Oh Henry hello, how are you?"

"I'm okay except that I can't find my mom. Do you know where she is?"

"I'm sorry sweetheart I don't"

Henry lets outs out a frustrated sigh on the other end.

"Have you tried Elsa?"

"Yes and Ruby and Zelena and MeyLing, I've tried everyone who was at your party!"

"Have you tried Killian?"

There's a long pause at the other end.

"I'm just thinking that if she was drunk, she might've taken a cab to a place other than home."

There's another long sigh.

Suddenly, young Phillip begins to screech, dumping his milk all over the floor.

"I have to go, Henry, I'm really sorry. Call me back if you can't reach her…"

Aurora goes to tend to her son before going back to the dinner.

Her 'hubby' walks in carrying his briefcase from his finance job and kisses her.

"Something smells good," he says as he goes to kiss his son.

"I hope so, it's your favourite. Happy Birthday, Honey."

"Oh Rora, you're making me blush. You're the sweetest."

"I hope so," she says. "We have a night of dancing and cake to enjoy."

…

The night carries on for all the women from the party, trying to call back their hook-up, trying to get her sister to do her laundry, travelling back to her apartment to clean up, finishing another practice on the ice, opening the second bottle of wine with her beaus and dancing the night away at an elegant dance club.

All the women's cell phones ring almost simultaneously. All of them pick up.

"Hello…?"

A familiar voice comes over the speaker. "… We need your help. Emma's gone missing."


	10. Chapter 10

Arthur finishes up, leaving an unconscious Emma chained to the bed. Of course, he didn't know her name yet, but he intended to find out.

He climbs the stairs of his little domain and locks the door, leaving her in the dark.

Arthur goes to his kitchen and opens a bottle of beer from the fridge. He looks around his small kitchen in which dirty dishes are piled high in the sink, an overflowing garbage can in the corner created an unpleasant stench and children's toys lay around, causing him to stub his toe. In frustration, he kicks his son's toy car to the side on his way to sit down. The house really falls apart when the family is away.

He sits down at the kitchen table, sipping his beer slowly. He looks at the woman's purse that he had acquired the night before. The drug he put in her drink had worked almost too well, she was barely conscious when he found her behind the bar. It took everything he had to try and remain inconspicuous as he guided the young woman to his car and put her in the back seat. He drove off, never looking back or thinking about his victim's well-being.

He had been out in search of someone that night. Someone perfect…

He had had his eye on one of the tanned waitresses at the bar, one that was secretly taking shots when her boss wasn't looking, but… she wasn't very bright. She made things way too easy. She'd sleep with him instantly, but he didn't want that…not yet at least.

Then the green-eyed blonde had caught his eye as she and her friends had walked in for karaoke. He had never seen anyone so beautiful and someone who could turn heads when she walked into the room. Of course, all the women who had walked in were very beautiful, any one of them would have been perfect for him. At one point, he wanted one of the red-heads, but out of all of them, the blonde was always alone. All the others were accompanied by someone, but she stood alone. It was easy, but not too easy. She was obviously smart, despite her blood alcohol level. She would not come willingly. That's where the drug came in, he ordered the exact same drink she had, laced it with a strong drug and when she wasn't looking, made the swap. He knew it was working when she went outside, stumbling slightly.

He opens the purse and begins looking through it. He finds a wallet and opens it.

The driver's license... Arthur examines the photo carefully; he is taken by her beauty.

 ** _Emma Elizabeth Swan_**

 ** _DOB: October 23, 1983_**

 ** _Height: 5.4ft_**

 ** _Weight: 119 lbs_**

 ** _Eye Colour: Green_**

 ** _Hair Colour: Blonde_**

 ** _Expiry: 09/2019_**

He stares at her for a long while, drinking and "absorbing" her beauty.

He finds a good amount of cash inside and he pockets it quickly. He tosses her credit cards across the table since he had no use for them right now. He finds a photo of three individuals, Emma, and two others. They are standing in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. A man and a boy. The man had a slight beard on his face, dark eyes and graying hair. The boy had a lively, rounded face with freckles, brown hair, and hazel eyes. He smiles brightly at the camera. He immediately assumes that this is her family. He takes the photo out of the wallet and looks at the back of it.

The description, _Emma, Neal, and Henry, 6 yrs old_ is written in faded ink.

Arthur feels a slight lump in his throat. This woman would be missed… he knew what that was like. He had a son and daughter of his own, just around the same age. They would surely miss him if he was gone.

 _Maybe this wasn't the one to grab…_ he thinks to himself.

He throws the wallet on the table and continues his raid of the purse. He finds a pack of tissues, some extra pocket money, lip gloss, pepper spray, rubber gloves, a stun gun, feminine products, perfume, a condom, a necklace with a swan pendant on the end of it, and her phone.

He turns the phone on and almost immediately the phone begins to buzz and light up with many messages and missed calls from worried loved ones. He doesn't even react, but he needs a passcode to get in. Not discouraged, he goes into one of the drawers in the kitchen and gets out his own instructions for an iPhone. He looks on how to reset a password and gets in after a few minutes of fiddling with it. He'd done such things before, it was almost routine now.

He begins scrolling through the messages from people she was close to, especially Henry and a man name Killian. Henry was obviously the woman's son, but who was this Killian? Wouldn't this Neal fellow be more worried about her if he was her husband?

Arthur frowns and then finds the photos app. One of the first photos to appear was Emma with a man who had dark hair and bright blue eyes. He had a beard and both were smiling and toasting drinks at some party. Swiping to the next photo, the two are kissing. This man was not Neal…perhaps she was divorced from this Neal, and this was Killian. He continues to scroll through her photos, finding pictures with those he can assume are her friends, some of which he can vaguely remember seeing the other night. There are also pictures of her with a much older Henry; one of her and her son at some swim meet, her son has a medal around his neck, another at a graduation, a few from birthday parties and other random events.

Arthur swallows hard as the messages continue to roll in as if calling out for their friend or mother. He knows that iPhones can be easily traced these days. He turns the data off, wipes the surface of the phone clean. He then takes the phone, grabs his keys and leaves his house. He locks the door, but he doubts this Emma would wake up anytime soon if the drugs he gave her were very strong, plus the handcuffs. This gives him at least a few hours to cover any evidence and figure out what to do next.

As he drives, he thinks about his next step; he had the girl but what was next? His wife and kids would be back on Monday, having taken a trip to see the grandparents for the weekend, leaving him alone. He knew he couldn't hide this woman for long, especially if she fought and screamed the way she did. He grips the steering wheel tightly as he drives to the outskirts of Boston, finding a farmer's field and tosses the phone out the window and into the grasses.

 _Hey readers, thanks for the comments so far. Sorry if this chapter it short, but we will learn more about Arthur as the story progresses. Please follow and review_


	11. Chapter 11

Emma awakes, the drugs the man had injected her with finally wearing off enough to remain conscious for longer periods of time. Her hands are still handcuffed together along the bed post and her head lay on the pillow. Her hair was damp from sweat and her tears. Her dress has been removed and most likely ripped off in the struggle for what felt like her life. She is lying naked on the bed, covered by only a sheet, which did little to help the number of goosebumps that had risen on her body from being exposed. The basement is frigidly cold and Emma had found that she'd instinctively curled up into a ball to preserve body heat.

Now that she could think more clearly than before and wasn't passing out, she begins to sob.

Never had she felt so violated in all her life. The man had kidnapped her, chained her up, forced himself on her, drugged her and had his way with her, all against her will. She feels sore from the struggle and she is most likely covered in bruises from his treatment of her. Her head throbs and her stomach turns, it was likely a reaction from the drugs working the way out of her system. She was uneasy, hungry, dehydrated and scared…

She hadn't felt scared in a long time. Despite her job on the police force, Emma had always tried to remain brave in any situation. She had been forced to learn at a very young age in her foster and group homes that fear was a weakness that would be exploited. She couldn't cry out or ask for help from anybody because she'd never had anyone there to help her, love her and overall care for her.

Emma knew she had to keep her emotions buried to protect herself. It was a skill she'd honed and perfected since her teens, building walls around her heart due to the rejections from foster homes. For a long time, there were only two people who had broken those barriers down, Neal and Henry. She loved and cared for them deeply as if to make up for the neglect she'd had before they came into her life. She trusted the two and felt like she was capable of emotion and love when they were with her. Gradually, as she made friends with Regina, Ruby, Elsa, Anna, Lacey, Aurora, MeyLing, David, Mary Margret and even Zelena, those walls had deteriorated immensely, but when Neal left, re-construction of those walls began again. The feelings of trust had been destroyed and left her feeling vulnerable and broken. She hated the pain of hurting so badly and being left in a difficult position, so the walls went up again. She mostly had to re-build them to appear to be strong for Henry, but he seemed to be building his own after Neal abandoned them. It was not something she had wanted for her son and tried to break them down to get her son to talk to his mother. She didn't want Henry to end up like her and she was failing miserably at the time. When Killian came into her life, the foundation of her fortifications cracked a bit. She saw that he had his own set of protections and Emma knew that she could relate and possibly change her attitude and overall outlook on accepting others with his help. She felt a sense of trust forming again and Killian seemed to be breaking her barriers down, piece by piece until she felt those feelings of care and even love. He had seen her for who she really was, he saw through the walls and made her feel almost normal again.

But now, stuck in this hell, her walls had been completely destroyed; leaving her angry, upset and scared. She assumed that this man fed off her fear and liked to be in power. He was obviously turned on by her squirming and her fight for her body, but she couldn't help but feel weak. Most of her strength had left her and she felt so very helpless.

She cries silently for a what felt like hours, tears raining down and soaking the pillow below her head. She cries for what had happened to her, how she is being treated like a prisoner. She cries for her son and she feared that the man might try to find him and hurt him too. How alone he must feel. She cries for Killian, how much she missed his embrace and how safe she felt in his arms. She cries for her friends, how worried they probably were, wondering what happened to her, if at all.

 _Would they be looking for her? Could they identify the man? She couldn't… Would she now be a missing person? Do they think I'm dead? What..._ _What if they think I just took off for the horizon?_ She thinks to herself after awhile. This made her sob harder as she thought of what Henry might be thinking. _Would he think I just abandoned him? If that happened, he might be thrown into the system… a hell all its own. He'll be alone and think both parents have left him._

Emma weeps a little bit more at the thought of her son and what her abduction might do to him. Destroy his life completely and leave him with no one… just like she had.

 _What if they just don't care?_

She shakes her head hard, trying to clear it. She couldn't let her insecurities and vulnerabilities make her give up hope. She had people who loved her, they would care. They'd try and find her. Those that she had trusted wouldn't abandon Henry, or her. David and Mary Margret would do everything they could to care for him and keep him safe; David might have the whole police force out looking for her. Surely Killian was worried too, Ruby and Regina… everyone she had let her guard down around, they would find her.

When she thought about those who would be looking for her, she felt a warm course through her body. It gave her strength, it fuelled her anger and need to get out of this situation. She was strong and she would not be taken advantage of like this.

Emma shuts her eyes and curls up a bit tighter. She wants to try to fight the chains again. They were the typical kind they used at the police station, which was good and bad at the same time. Good because she'd know how to manipulate them and possibly free herself. Bad because they were meant to be strong and hold the prisoner.

Emma tries moving the cuffs upwards, trying to see in the gloom of the basement. She had no sense of time down here and after her drugging, she was even more unsure about whether it was day time or night time at all. She examines the cuffs carefully, sturdy, but could be broken with time. She uses her hands to get a feel for the cuffs and she finds the keyhole. She thinks about how she could pick it…if she had a bobby pin or something small. She couldn't just pull the cuffs off the bed frame as it was attached all around, like a hospital bed. The bed continually creaks as she tries to see if she could slip her wrists out.

Suddenly loud footsteps are heard above her and the jingling of keys. Emma knows she must stop playing around with the cuffs. If the kidnapper knows she's trying to escape, he might hurt her or make everything worse. The basement door opens, causing Emma to strain her eyes as the same light is cast down the creaky concrete steps. The same shadow stands at the top of the stairs for a long moment before coming down.

It's the same shape from before except he appears to be carrying something. Emma can hear each agonizing step as her heart began to race, thinking he was back to.. to rape her again. She would fight again, as hard as possible, even though she was naked and more vulnerable than before. She would also try to avoid being drugged again. He was a strong man, but Emma had fought much stronger people on the job.

The man pauses at the bottom of the stairs. Emma couldn't tell if he could see her or not, but she did her best to be ready for whatever he might do.

The man walks towards her, much more cautiously. He obviously knew that she might try to attack him again and Emma felt this might be to her advantage. She was afraid of him, but he was probably afraid of her as well.

Emma can feel his heavy breath as he sets a few things next to the bed. It sounds like the clatter of something plastic. When he stands up he stares at Emma for a long moment.

Emma's heart is in her throat again as she waits, thinking about her son and her friends. If they couldn't find her, she would have to find them.

The man then walks into the darkness, deeper into the basement, like he had the last time. Emma was certain he was going for the drugs so he could force himself onto her again. She turned herself to where he had ambushed her last time, to be ready. She would not be caught off guard again.

She listens carefully to the sounds on what Emma can assume is his tool bench. There is a lot of clanking around, metal on metal, among other things. He grunts several times before his footsteps approach the bed. Emma swings her leg out, ready for the attack.

Instead, the man stands there for a long while, as if waiting for something. Emma's heart rate remains high, not wanting to let her guard down for anything.

There is suddenly an enormous amount of pressure placed on her upper body. Emma immediately begins to struggle and scream out, using all her strength. The man gets on top of her to pin her down. Emma fights with every fiber in her body.

"Stop struggling," the man growls. His voice still very scratchy and deep. "This will only take a few seconds."

"No," Emma pants. "No you bastard."

More pressure is applied to her arms, almost to the point of breaking them. Emma screams out in pain.

"Stop struggling or I'm getting the juice…" he warns.

At first, Emma is confused by this word, but then she realizes he means the drugs! Emma knew she couldn't ever escape if she was drugged all the time. Obviously, the man had other intentions than to have his way with her, but she knew she would have to keep fighting.

"I'm not here to…"

"I don't care!" Emma barks. "I don't care what you do, stop touching me!"

"Aren't you hungry?" the man asks.

This causes Emma to pause and contemplate what he just said. Was he releasing her to allow her to eat?

The pause is just what the man needs. He grabs onto both of Emma's wrists and holds them tightly. He forces her body away from her arms, towards the other side of the bed. He then sits and Emma hears clicking like he's fumbling with something. For a moment, she no longer feels metal on her wrists and her arms against the cold metal of the bed post. She hears the clinking of metal together, like chains and then the rattling as the man does something to the handcuffs. Emma wants to use this moment of freedom to try and escape, but the man has a tight grip on her, squeezing the life out of her hands, blocking her blood circulation. She then hears the familiar clicks of the handcuffs being reattached, until the point that both her wrists are both firmly locked up again. He then releases her hands and gets up.

Emma can't see at first but she cautiously moves her hand, she's no longer attached to the bedpost. The cuffs are still around her wrists and as she feels around her, the cuffs are attached to a chain. A long and thick chain from the feeling and sound of it and the man has the other end like she's on a chain gang or is a dog. He tugs on it a few times.

Emma has seconds to act, she tries to rip the chain out of his hands, but he pulls harder, forcing her arms outwards in a painful jerking motion. She gasps out in pain.

He then gets closer to the bed and Emma hears the chain being wrapped around the bedpost. There is another firm click and the jingling of keys. Again, Emma is locked around the bed post, but now she has more movement.

The man then disappears into the dark of the basement again and comes back with something very thick. He puts it down next to the bed. It's something made of metal and is very heavy as he places it down.

Emma is suddenly blinded as a light is shone into the vast abyss of the basement. She squints to see what is probably a work light from a tool bench lights up a section of her prison. Emma tries to look at the man; she catches a glimpse of very dark, cold eyes and an unshaven face before he vanishes into the shadows again.

"There's some food and water for you. I also brought you some clothes," the man says sternly. "I'm giving you a chance to eat."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Emma finally manages to ask.

The man says nothing before turning his back on her and walking up the stairs. He shuts the door, leaving her with the light that shone on what he had placed on her bed.

There was some women's clothing; plain and not very colourful, but Emma actually felt thankful that he had brought her something… With little hesitation, she reaches down to feel the fabric. There's a shirt, underwear, a bra and pants, sweatpants most likely. There was food on a plate, what looked like carrot sticks and a plain sandwich. There was a Styrofoam cup of water there too. Emma's stomach gurgled in anticipation.

The captive experiments on how far the chain goes. It seemed like enough for her to climb from the bed and reach the objects below her. It also allowed her to stand up after what felt like a long time. Her body shook a lot from weakness and being in the same position for so long. She tried to stretch her limbs as best she could, before going after the clothing.

It was difficult to put everything on being handcuffed, but Emma managed it well enough. Once in something a little more comfortable and warmer, Emma went towards the food. Her stomach was very empty and her body was weak from dehydration. Just as she goes towards the food, she stops and thinks about whether it might be drugged. He obviously had the resources to do so, but eventually, hunger won out. It was a baloney sandwich with carrot sticks. It was quite bland and the bread was close to being stale, but Emma ate everything. She needed all the strength she could get. She drank the water as well.

Once everything was gone, Emma sits back on the bed. Now that she had some of her strength back, she could think about what to do next. She had a light, meaning she could examine her situation more clearly. The cuffs are standard handcuffs, but they are quite sturdy. The chain is thick and is wound around the cuffs to give her some leeway to move and eat. The chain is wrapped around the bedpost that she had been stuck too earlier and is locked with a thick gold lock, the kind that could only be opened by a key. Emma thought that since she was attached to the bed, she might be able to drag the bed along towards the stairs or the workbench to find something to free herself with. However, looking under the bed, she saw that it was bolted to the floor. Emma tested to see how far she could go with the chains, which was only a few steps at the most in all directions. Just out of the beam of light, Emma could see what looked like a work bench, mostly like where her captor kept his drugs and other tools. It was so deep in the basement that it was still covered in shadow. Emma scans around her bed, looking for anything that might be useful. To her utter dread, the basement had no windows and was made of thick concrete, making the idea of calling for help impossible. Emma sighs deeply, knowing she couldn't give up hope just yet. She could still use the chain and wrap it around the man's neck and force him to give her the key to escape or she could pick the lock.

Emma's mind is racing, as well as her heart as she thinks of any possible way out when the same footsteps are heard from above. The sound of keys and a lock being opened. The man comes back down the stairs towards her. Now with more light, she can almost make out his features. He has dark eyes that held little emotion at all with a thick, carved face that gave her a stern expression. He has a thicker beard of dark hair that covered his mouth, which was clenched up into a frown. He has a thick head of hair that was messy and desperately needed a comb. He is a well-built man, like an athlete, his muscles bulged slightly under his long sleeve shirt. His clothing was rather middle class, maybe a bit worn with age, he wore thick jeans and no shoes. He walks with confidence and had an air of menace to him. He walks towards Emma with new equipment in his arms. This time he has what looks like more chain and tape.

Emma goes into a defensive position, ready to use the chain as a weapon if she needed it. The man stared at her for a long moment, as if prepared for battle. He reaches down for the light, yanks the cord from the wall, putting them into darkness again.

Emma's heart hits overdrive as he now had an advantage. She knew that she had to remain vigilant and be prepared for anything. She doesn't hear his footsteps or his breath. He intended to conceal himself and he is obviously used to the dark.

Emma feels an enormous amount of pressure on her legs. She immediately uses her cuffs and hands to try and find the man's throat. She manages to punch him hard across what she can assume was his face and he grunts in response. Feeling triumphant, Emma goes for another attack.

Something sharp suddenly courses through her veins and causes her body to seize up. She hears the crackle of electricity and sees a tiny blue bolt of light. She loses control of all her limbs and falls back on the bed, convulsing slightly. She feels herself crying slightly and all the feeling and control has left her body. The man continues what he's doing, pinning her legs down. Emma feels something cold wrap around her ankles and more clinking of metal. All the blood is rushing through her and she can't control herself. She isn't sure what he hit her with, but it was likely a stun gun. She's in a lot of pain.

"Can't have you moving around that much," the man says to her, but he sounds very far away as the blood coursing through her is brain is blocking her hearing.

Emma swears she hears another click and then the man takes the pressure off her legs.

She tries desperately to get feeling back into her body until another jolt sends her into paralysis again. She can faintly see the man's outline in the dark as her grabs her arms again. Emma can't see anything as she feels her arms being forced against the upper part of the bedframe. She hears chains clinking together. Arthur was wrapping her chains around the bed a few more times to ensure she couldn't reach very far and attack him again.

For his last act on her, he hits her with the stun gun once more to keep her in place and he rips a piece of duct tape from the roll.

"Can't having you making noise, now can we?" he almost taunts her.

He then places it over Emma's mouth to guarantee that she wouldn't make a sound. His wife and children were coming home tonight and he needs his secret to be kept for now. He then goes back to his work bench and gets another dosage of drugs. He injects it into Emma's system, just as the volts of electricity are passing through her.

Emma is now chained, hand and foot to the bed to make sure she won't try to escape, silenced and drugged. His wife and children will never suspect a thing. He then places a kiss on Emma's forehead before heading back upstairs again.

The drugs are burning through Emma's veins, likely mixing with the leftover voltage from the stun gun, keeping her paralyzed. She tries to fight the chains, but now she is more helpless than before, chained and drugged. She tries fighting the drugs, crying the entire time and feeling helpless but again the battle is soon lost and she is forced into darkness again.

 _Here's the next chapter. Please follow and review._


	12. Chapter 12

"Just try to relax," David says to his pregnant wife as he turns on the bedside lamp after she had screamed. The two of them were staying in Emma's room as they took care of Henry and started to investigate his mother's disappearance. Mary Margret was having a horrible nightmare and ended up screaming out in the middle of night. She's covered in sweat, crying very hard and shaking intensely.

"I-I can't…" Mary Margret weeps heavily. She leans into her husband in desperation to continue her crying. Her dream had been about them finding Emma's dead body out behind a dumpster and then suddenly the scene changed she was watching her best friend being murdered in front of her eyes. Every stab wound and every agonizing scream that escaped Emma's lips. Mary Margret could see the blood seeping into her blonde hair, staining it red. Her green eyes had the look of terror, frozen as her heart was no longer beating. She tried to reach her friend but then the killer turned on the pregnant mother and attacked.

David keeps his arms tightly around his wife. He knows this stress is bad for the baby, it could cause complications or early labour. He had been trying to keep her calm, but he couldn't keep the façade very well as he was having trouble sleeping too. "She's okay Mary," David says as soothingly as he can. "She's strong. We'll find her."

"Y-you can't be sure of that…" Mary Margret whimpers into his chest. To her, sleeping in her friend's bed felt wrong and made her night that much worse. The baby was also reacting to her stress, kicking frequently and making things even more uncomfortable.

After Killian filed a missing person's report, David was trying to take charge of the investigation, but Gold wasn't having it. It also seemed like Gold didn't really care that one of the members of his team was missing, one of his best members too.

David merely sits with his trembling wife in his arms. None of them had slept very well the first night after Emma was reported missing, and tonight was no different. David wanted to stay later at the station, organizing search parties and getting missing posters out, but Leroy had forced him to go home and care for his wife. It was quite a surprise that the grumpy alcoholic was showing concern for his fellow employee, but everyone actually saw the worry on this man's face when David came in to jumpstart the investigation. He even put down his flask to help make copies of posters.

It's not like going back to Emma's apartment helped in any way. David saw his worried wife making phone calls to as many people as she could, trying to get the word out, and Emma's son… he couldn't describe what happened to him. The kid looked like he was crawling into a shell to hide. He couldn't, or didn't want to comprehend the whole situation. It was completely overwhelming to him, and David could tell, Henry was crying in private. Both he and his wife had tried to approach and comfort him, but he crawled even further to that shell.

 _He's becoming Emma…_ David thought to himself. _Making a barrier to protect himself. How much longer until he completely shuts down?_

David sighs and holds his wife and unborn child close. Killian stands in the doorway, having been woken up by Mary Margret's screams. The docks man had been sleeping on the couch to be near the phone and crying silently in the dark. The worry and fear that he felt probably outweighed the cop and his wife's combined. Killian had wanted to protect Emma; he had been falling in love with her and to have her be ripped away was like ripping out his heart. He couldn't function without seeing her smile or hearing her voice, whispering to him, reassuring him that he was going to be okay. But now, all he could think about was where Emma might be. Her pleas for help… her screams of fear. Somehow, Killian was sure that she was afraid, even though she hardly ever showed fear in front of him. It was a sort of intuition he had as if he could feel her pain; he knew she was terrified because she didn't have those she loved around her. It made him hurt even more.

Killian watches the couple for a few moments, before looking down the hallway and seeing a shadow suddenly dart back into his room.

Killian's stomach turns… the poor lad. He should just multiply his pain by a hundred for how the kid feels. Even though Killian was close to Emma, he had only known her for a few months. Henry had known her all his life and she was his protector, his supposed confidant, his caregiver…and now his family… his only family.

Killian takes slow steps down the hall and peeks into Henry's room. The kid has his lamp on as if creating a beacon of hope, but most likely for comfort. He has his back to the docks man and is curled up into a ball, burying himself in the blankets.

Killian stares down at the bedroom floor and sees an assortment of pictures spread out. He suddenly realizes that Henry was looking at them and most likely crying... The pain of losing his mother must be killing the poor kid. Killian wants more than anything to hug the lad and tell him that everything will be okay. But both knew that Henry did not particularly like Killian because the teenage felt as if he was replacing his dad. It wasn't hate, but resentment towards the new relationship his mother had with the dark-haired stranger. Killian wishes then that he could be a father to the boy, try to comfort him and reassure him, something Neal should have been doing, but the bastard was gone, abandoning his son when he needed him the most.

The docks man steps into the room quietly and kneels to look at some of the pictures in the lamp light. There is a picture of Emma and Henry with sparklers in their hands, most likely at a 4th of July celebration. There's Neal holding onto his son's bicycle seat as the child attempts to ride it with no training wheels. Baby Henry with chocolate birthday cake all over his face. Emma and Neal back when they must've been much younger, toasting glasses of wine. Killian thought Emma looked beautiful, even back when she was a shrinking violet and saw herself as an ugly duckling. She always wore her hair in ponytails and wore very thick glasses, making her look very young. Still, Killian thought she looked stunning. There are also pictures of the family on the beach, Neal teaching Henry how to fish, New Year's Eve parties, the couple teaching Henry how to walk, Henry's graduation from elementary school and a few Halloween parties.

On top of the pile, there seemed to be some newer photos of just Emma and Henry. Killian's heart ached a lot at the sight of just the two of them. They were like a broken family, all they had was each other. Killian did not want Henry to have to go through what he and Liam had to, loss and abandonment. It ruined his life and if Emma was not found, it would likely destroy Henry's already delicate life.

"I will find you, Emma," he says under his breath. "I promise. I will always find you."

Killian sees something move above him and he turns to see Henry's hazel eyes staring at him. Killian can see that they are bloodshot and filled with worry. He locks eyes with the Lad for a long few moments.

"I promise to bring your mother home to you," he says quietly. "I won't let it destroy your family, Lad."

Henry's heart wanted to soar with hope as he looked at the man who had made him a promise. It was then that he realized that Killian really did care for his mom and apparently, him too. He wasn't going to run off, he was here and he was determined to find his mother and bring her back to him. The man had hope… the same amount of hope that he did. He knew his mother was strong, but now he had to be stronger and he needed people like Killian, David, Mary Margret and Regina in order to achieve this.

He gives Killian a strong smile and his eyes well up a bit. Killian nods to the boy before turning and exiting his room.

Henry lays back down in bed and turns over to shut off his lamp. He sees one more framed photo by his bedside, one of his entire family, Regina, David and Mary Margret, his mom's friends and his parents… maybe, Killian, could one day be a part of that group too. He was starting to earn his trust.

 _Here's Chapter 12. Please review and follow._


	13. Chapter 13

"You can't just abandon her!" David barks at Gold. The two are in a heated argument about finding Emma. Half the force is outside the door of Gold's office, all on David's side in support of finding their fellow member. Leroy stands in the corner of Gold's office, his arms across his chest, doing his very best to control his anger toward the selfish Commissioner.

"I am doing no such thing, Lieutenant," Gold says coldly.

"She's one of the best people on this force and you're not giving her case a passing glance," David says accusingly.

"I am merely following protocol, Mr. Nolan,"

David wants to punch Gold so badly. He takes a step back and lets out a frustrated sigh. "You're telling me, you will not dedicate your time and effort to find someone who has spent the last ten years committed to this force and bringing in many criminals, many of which she never lays claim to and does everything you've ever asked of her and you won't..."

"I understand your distress over this situation Lieutenant Nolan, given your friendship with Miss Swan (which I find a waste of time), but I cannot have the entire Boston Police Force dropping everything to find one person, for who all we know, ran away because of the unfortunate life she's had."

"That's absolute bullshit!" Leroy barks. He begins to charge at Gold, but David does his best to hold him back. "She'd never run away. Just because she's had a bad past, doesn't mean she'd run away from her problems like you might. She puts her sweat and blood into her work, more than you ever would, and here you accuse her of abandoning her life."

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" Gold shouts back, standing up from behind his desk.

"It's a long time coming, you bastard," Leroy snarls.

"Find yourself a new job Mr. Arnsberg," Gold shouts. "I will not tolerate disrespect!"

"You think I care? I've been waiting seven years for you to say that to me. You're a tyrant and I hope you rot in hell!"

Leroy then storms out of the office and slams the door behind him.

David is stunned by what Leroy had just said, but he's sure that anyone who heard that would know that it was a long-time coming, but David knew he had to keep his job, for his wife and unborn child and for Emma.

David turns back to an enraged Gold is a flushed red colour and panting angrily like a rabid animal.

"I've known Emma for more than five years. You know and I know that she's had a hard life and been through a lot lately, but she would not, under any circumstances abandon her son or go anywhere without telling anyone. We're dealing with an abduction case and…" David swallows hard. "P-Possible homicide."

"My word is final Lieutenant," Gold says.

"Then you'll be looking for half a new police force if you don't take this seriously."

Gold pauses and glares at David.

"I will put you in charge of the investigation, just don't come crying to me when your leads run cold."

…

"Tell me the last time you saw Emma Swan," an officer named Jack asks Killian. David, Henry, Regina, Mary Margret, Ruby, Leroy, Elsa and several other officers are standing behind the mirror glass watching the interrogation of Emma's boyfriend.

David, Henry, Regina, Mary Margret, Ruby, Leroy, Elsa and several other officers are standing behind the mirror glass watching the interrogation of Emma's boyfriend.

"I've got to admit, he is really good looking," Ruby smirks. "Good job Emma,"

Mary Margret glares at Ruby. "This is no time for jokes,"

"Sorry M, just trying to lighten the mood."

"Why are we questioning Killian anyways?" Henry asks. "He wasn't there the night my mom disappeared."

"We have to go through all the possibilities Henry," David explains. "We even have to consider the chance that Killian may have grabbed Emma. It's standard protocol"

"We also have to question his roommates in order to back up his claims," a female officer named Nova explains.

"We've sent a call in for them," a telegrapher, copying down the words being said in front of the glass.

Inside the room, Killian sits as comfortably as he can in an interrogation room. He knew from his time of watching cop shows that everyone must be questioned, including the boyfriend, because 90% of the time, a homicide or kidnapping was a spouse or partner.

The officer, Jack, has blue eyes and brown hair that shags in front of his very youthful face. He doesn't look much older than Killian himself. He definitely works out, as his muscles bulge slightly under his police uniform. But the thing about Jack that doesn't make Killian too uncomfortable is that Jack has a rather gentle demeanor. It's as if it were a friend questioning him than an officer of the law. Besides, Killian had nothing to hide.

"I last saw her on Thursday night after we went to her friends' house for dinner," Killian explains. "We kissed and said good night. Her son Henry can back up the claim."

"Was that the last time you heard from her?" Jack asks, chewing on his lip.

"No, we texted on Friday night, just around 7:30 I think it was,"

"You think or you know?" Jack says insistently.

"I still have the texts on my phone if you want to look at them to get the time," Killian says.

"And what did you talk to her about?"

"I just wished for her to have a good night out, she texted me a selfie of her outfit to show what I was 'missing out on,' and then we said goodnight."

"Then what did you do?"

"I spent the night at home, watching a big football game on TV before heading off to bed as I had to get up early for work," Killian says.

"Did you try to contact Miss Swan at all on Saturday?"

"A few times," Killian says. "I called and left voice mails, I texted her, I even tried to contact her on social media and Instagram."

"And were you at all worried when she didn't respond?"

"Not at first. I assumed that she had a hangover from all the fun and didn't want to be disturbed, but when I got a call from her son Henry asking me if she was over at my place, I began to worry a lot more."

"What did you do next?"

"I tried her phone so many times I couldn't keep track and when David…"

"You mean Lieutenant Nolan?"

"Yes, when Lieutenant Nolan called me, I knew something was very wrong. So, I came over to their house and I've been staying there ever since in hopes of news."

Jack paces on the spot for a moment before turning back to face Killian. Jack could tell that Killian was genuinely concerned for his girlfriend's well-being. He made direct eye contact and was even drinking water, not usual signs of a suspect with something to hide. Jack did sense that something no matter how small was a bit off about him. What that was, he couldn't tell yet.

"And you were the one who filed the missing person's report?"

"Yes," Killian says.

"Normally only blood relatives can do that,"

"I'm aware of that Mate, but at current this moment, Emma has no living parents, at least any that she knows of." Killian swallows, knowing he's revealing a private secret of Emma's. "Her parents abandoned her on the side of a highway, she was never legally adopted and was in the foster system her whole life. She's never been married and her son is a little young to be filing missing person's reports."

Jack does his best not to nod. He eye's Killian carefully, but nothing about his current behaviour indicates guilt. He continues to ask standard questions of the boyfriend, for what feels like hours, until he has nothing left to ask of the man. He then leaves to join David and Nova behind the glass. This was a common police tactic to observe a suspect's behaviour to see if there were changes.

All of them watch as Killian leans into his arms and lets out a deep sigh. It feels like forever before his body begins to move up and down a little bit. There's a long moment of silence until they hear sounds of sobbing.

"He's crying?" Leroy gasps in disbelief.

Nova elbows her fellow, former employee angrily. "It's not bad for a man to cry."

"The problem that I have with his statement is that he went to bed early," Jack says, looking over the transcript.

"How come?" Elsa asks.

"It doesn't seem to fit and he actually broke eye contact with me. Plus, I'm a sports fan myself and I know that football season has not started yet so there was no big game on Friday. If there were, he wouldn't be at home, most people his age would be at a bar with foaming beer, not at home."

"A sportsman huh?" Elsa says, raising an eyebrow. "You seem to be an expert?"

"Yes, I'm a man who enjoys his Friday nights in the bar cheering on the team."

"But why make such a generalized assumption?" Elsa asks skeptically

"It's just a theory Miss…uh…" Jack stammers.

"Arendella,"

"That's quite a mouthful,"

"It's a Danish name," Elsa says almost defensively.

"Really? My family is Danish too."

"Wow," Elsa says in surprise.

David looks at the other officers in confusion.

"Maybe the family heritage talk can wait until after Emma is found,"

Elsa blushes a bit and Jack turns away.

"We'll learn more when we question the roommates," Nova says, bringing everything back on track. "Right, but now I want you, Miss Lucas, to text all your friends and tell them to come to the station for questioning. It will make it easier on our staff to follow up with any other leads without having to contact witnesses."

"Yes ma 'me," Ruby says and exits the room to go and do so.

"Mary you should go home," David says, helping his wife up from the chair.

"I'm fine David," Mary Margret insists.

David sighs. He wasn't too keen on having his wife here at the station anyways. He didn't want her to be too stressed. As her due date loomed near, the officer felt like a bundle of nerves and the stress was taking its toll on both. With their good friend missing and the imminent birth of their child and becoming parents, they were almost at their wit's end.

Nova turns to Jack.

"You can tell Killian he's free to go. We can't do anything till his roommates are questioned."

"I doubt he had anything to with it anyways," Elsa says insistently. She knew that a guilty person would not weep like Killian had unless he was close to being caught. Elsa obviously didn't know Killian very well, but she did know Emma, and she knew that Emma would not pick a shady and mistrustful individual. She'd want an honest man and someone who would never hurt her or her son.

"With all due respect Miss Arendella, we can't rule him out just yet," Nova says firmly.

Elsa nods and then watches as Jack goes into the interrogation room to let Killian go. She can't quite understand why he fascinates her so. She wasn't a shallow person, but it seemed as if his youthful looks and well-built body were drawing her closer to him.

"Nova, I'm going on break," Jack announces as Elsa watches from the hall.

Elsa swallows hard and then slowly approaches the young officer.

"Excuse me Mr…"

"Overland," Jack says.

"That's not exactly Danish," Elsa points out teasingly.

"Are you a Danish expert?" Jack asks, raising his eyebrow.

"No, my parents did speak Danish and kept our European heritage alive in our house,"

"Must be nice," Jack says as he tries to walk past Elsa, but she follows him. They walk side by side.

Elsa's heart races anxiously as she follows the young officer down the corridor. "Do you know if there's a place to get coffee here?"

"It's in the break room, but it actually tastes like crap. It would be better to go up the street to a nice little café on the corner."

"Maybe you could show me…?" Elsa says, biting her lip. "I'm not exactly familiar with this area."

"A good sign that you're not a felon," Jack jokes.

Elsa giggles a bit.

"I'd be happy to show you, just let me get my jacket."

Elsa waits patiently as Jack goes into the locker room to get his things. Elsa feels a little light headed. She's never felt this way before. He's very sweet and a bit of a jokester. She'd never thought she'd have these feelings, the types of feelings Anna describes of having with Kris. She finds him very…

Jack comes back with this officer's coat and Elsa wraps her jean jacket around herself. They walk through the main lobby of the station

Suddenly, Elsa's phone buzzes.

"Darn it's my sister," Elsa moans stopping for a moment. "When will she grow up?"

"You have a sister?"

"A very young and immature one," Elsa mutters.

"I do too. My sister clings onto me like a leech and she's always asking for money from me,"

"Anna is the same way, one time…"

Their conversation vanishes into the night air.

…

Leroy sits in a chair in the main lobby, drinking heavily while others rush around him

"Bloody hell," Killian moans, taking the seat next to the man. He reaches over and snatches Leroy's flask and takes a swig.

"Hey!" Leroy barks, grabbing it back. It's as if his alcohol is his most precious possession. "Don't ever do that again!"

"Sorry Mate," Killian says. "Just that rum keeps me awake."

"Helps me forget," Leroy grumbles.

Killian nods and watches the officers rush by in a flurry of activity. Even at night, the police station never slept. Leroy does his best to ignore Emma's boyfriend because he was the reason that Emma was so distracted, but at the same time, he knew that Killian cared for Emma, probably more deeply than Leroy cared for anyone, but all the same.

"I'm so glad Gold fired me," Leroy says to no one. "I couldn't handle all this crap."

"He fired you?"

"For telling him the truth. Gold is not a good person by any stretch of the imagination. He thinks himself as so high and mighty, but the reality is, he's a snake…a reptile."

Killian says nothing but just nods. He continues to stare forward, his mind running away with where his beloved Emma might be. He can't believe that she worked here amongst the criminals and actually took orders from this jerk Gold.

"What was Emma like at work?' Killian asks

Leroy swigs before answering.

"She was the best of the best," the gruff man says. "She cared about what she did, she never missed a day of work, but she was late for a few…I assume that some of those were your fault."

Killian turns red, but Leroy continues.

"She could kick anyone's ass and believe it or not, she was actually happy to work here despite the tyrant." Leroy wrinkles his nose as Gold passes them, not even acknowledging their existence. "She was pretty quiet and did keep to herself a lot. She had a tough past and was hard to relate to. She was a mystery, to say the least."

"The woman is an enigma,' Killian agrees. "It's what draws me to her…"

Leroy drinks again and the two sit in silence for a long while.

"If Emma was such a mystery, how did you know she wouldn't just up and leave?" Killian asks.

"Because the one thing I do know about Emma with 100% certainty is she would never abandon those she loved. She loves Henry with every inch of her soul and she would never leave him in the lurch."

Killian nods and looks over to give Leroy a smile. The two watch as Mary Margret and Henry get candy bars out of the vending machine.

"He's a good kid," Leroy says. "He doesn't deserve this and neither do the Nolan's, especially when a baby is about to make three."

"Emma doesn't deserve this either," Killian sighs, fighting back a few tears. He swallows his sadness as much as he can.

"No she doesn't, but if I know her, she would rather die than abandon those she cares about…"

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Killian mutters.

 _Thanks, guys, please review because it really helps me out. Thank you for all those who've commented already, I really appreciate it._


	14. Chapter 14

"So Henry," Jack says, sitting down in the interrogation room with the kid. "Tell me what happened on Friday night?"

"Well…" Henry says. "I went to school like I usually did. I had a Spanish test that day and then I took the bus home."

Behind the glass, David, Nova, Leroy, Ruby, Killian, and Regina watch with intent. Mary Margret had been sent home, but Elsa and now Aurora were staying with her in case anything happened.

"Should we really be doing this?" Regina says with concern. "I mean there's no way he would abduct his own mother."

"He's an important witness Regina," David says, not taking his eyes off the kid. "I know it's unlikely, but you know we need to cover all the possibilities."

"He's not really a suspect anyways," Nova says. "We just need a timeline from him mostly."

"But he's only fifteen."

"He's stronger than he seems sister, relax," Leroy mutters.

"Was your mother there when you got home?" Jack asks.

"No, she wasn't home just yet. I'm usually by myself for a few hours afterward"

"What time does she usually show up at home?"

"It varies, but usually it's around 5:30 or 6. 7 is the latest."

"Okay,"

"I was playing video games when she came home and she got there after six. She made a quick dinner of mac and cheese before we both got ready for our parties."

"Yes, and who was driving you to the party?"

"My…friend, Violet Roberts, has an older sister, Juliette, who was going to drive us there."

"And what time was that going to be?"

"Around 8, I'm pretty sure."

"And what time did your Mom leave."

"Around 7:30, I'm pretty sure."

"Pretty sure?"

"I can't be 100%,"

"But you're sure she left the apartment."

"I saw her leave and she said good night to me."

"And then you went to the party?"

"Yes sir,"

"Is there anything I should be concerned about that happened at the party?"

A voice buzzes over Jack's walkie talkie.

"Stay focused, Jack," Nova reminds him.

"I didn't do anything illegal. I spent the whole night with my friend, Violet."

"Then what happened?"

"Officer David picked us up,"

"He did, did he?"

"Yes,"

"And what time was that?"

"After 1:00. David can vouch for that."

"I can," the voice crackles over the walkie-talkie.

"Okay, and was there any sign of your Mom when you got home?"

"No, the door was locked and the lights were out."

"Did you check her room at all?"

"No…" Henry sighs, wishing now that he had. Maybe he could have been a bit wiser and known something was wrong sooner.

"Did she give you any specific time that she said she would be home at?"

"No, but it was a party and I know that Ruby likes to stay out late."

"I resent that," Ruby mutters under her breath. Regina shoots her a look.

"Besides, I was really tired from the party so I went right to sleep, I didn't even change my clothes."

"And then what happened on Saturday?"

"I woke up at around noon."

"And was your mother home?"

"No."

"Did you know that?"

"No,"

"Did you find that a little strange?"

"A little, but I kind of just assumed that she was in her room. I knew that she had been drinking and wouldn't want to be disturbed, I know what she's like with a hangover."

"So you didn't check on her?"

Henry swallows "No," he says, trying not to tear up.

"So then what happened?"

"I watched TV, I did homework, I played video games."

"And even through all this you never checked on your mother?"

"No," Henry says, looking down as if in shame.

"When did you check on her?"

"Around the time I had to go to swimming practice, which was before 4:00. I had to be at the pool by 5."

Henry pauses and swallows a lump in his throat. "So I saw that she wasn't in bed and I checked the whole apartment to make sure she wasn't elsewhere."

"So then what did you do?"

"At first, I didn't panic. I called her at least three times but she didn't answer. My mom always keeps her phone on for emergencies. I texted her too, but I got nothing. I got more scared, but I wasn't too bad yet. I thought maybe she may have crashed at a friend's house."

"Who did you call first?"

"Regina Mills. She's like my second mom."

"Okay…"

"And I asked her and she said no, my mom wasn't there and she hadn't seen her. So, then I called Elsa Arendella and asked and she wasn't there either. I tried all her friends that she was out with that night."

"Can you name them?"

"Ruby Lucas, Granny Lucas and Granny's diner, MeyLing Zhang, Zelena Jordan, Aurora Stevens, and she suggested that I call Killian Jones. So I did."

"And still nothing?"

"Still nothing."

"Did you become concerned?"

Henry nods. "So I called David and Mary Margret and told them what happened. David took me to swim practice and they had me over for dinner and then came back home with me."

Jack bites his lip, hoping the recorder on the other side of the glass is getting all this.

"And then what?"

"Killian came over and he and David went out looking for my mom. Mary Margret stayed with me and we waited till they came home."

Jack ponders all the new information, putting a timeline together in his head.

"Thank you, Henry," he says softly. "Would you like some water?"

"Yes please," Henry says.

Jack goes to get some, leaving the kid alone. He yawns heavily and lays his head down, but unlike Killian, he doesn't cry.

"He seems pretty honest," Jack says, coming in from in front of the glass.

"I don't doubt him for a minute," Regina says confidently. "I've known that boy for almost 13 years and I can tell when he's lying and he wasn't. Not at all."

"It's good to know Miss Mills," Nova says. "But he's not a suspect anyways."

"And he does back up your claim of coming to the apartment Mr. Jones."

"Aye," Killian nods.

Regina stares at the kid, knowing he's exhausted with worry and despair. Regina just wants to pick him up in her arms like she used to when he was little and cradle him, telling him everything will be okay.

"You should let him go home," Ruby says as if reading Regina's mind. "He's exhausted."

All the adults look at the teen and how he was seconds from passing out.

"I'll take him home," Regina says.

"Not so fast Miss Mills," Nova says. "You have not given your statements yet and we want them now while they're fresh in your mind."

Regina wants to protest, but she figured the faster she gave the statements, the faster they would let her leave.

"Well then, get me in that room now."

"It's not that easy Regina," David says sternly.

Regina shoots him a look.

"Interrogations and recording of statements take a few hours at least," he explains.

"And it looks like Henry won't last a few hours," Ruby points out.

"Then who will take him home?" she asks.

"I will," Killian says gently.

"You?!" Regina says in shock.

"Aye, I've given my statements and as far as I know, I am free to go correct?"

"Yes," Jack nods slowly.

"I'll take him home and join Mary Margret and the others."

"We'll call you back in the morning," Ruby says

Regina bites her lip. She didn't know anything about Killian except for what Emma had told her and she is skeptical of allowing this man take home the boy who was basically her son. She was a bit suspicious of what Officer Jack had said earlier about him lying about something. Maybe he did kidnap Emma. Was he after Henry next? But she knew there was no way Henry could last the few hours needed for her statements.

"Alright," Regina says.

"I'll get him," Jack says.

Henry comes out of the room and Regina explains what going to happen. The poor kid has dark and heavy circles under his eyes and his eyes are bloodshot, either from exhaustion or crying, maybe both. He accepts the instructions without much resistance and Killian guides the poor kid to the car.

…

The next few hours are hard for everyone. Both Regina and Ruby give their statements and both are thoroughly embarrassed about having to admit how they spent the rest of their night. Regina with Graham and Ruby in a foursome. However, they knew it was to find their friend and put up with every question that was asked. David, Nova, and Jack all knew that the two could be crossed off the list pretty easily as Regina went home with another man and was with him the entire time and Ruby was so intoxicated that there was no way that she could have abducted her friend.

By dawn, all of those involved are exhausted, bleary-eyed and weak from hunger. David knew he couldn't rest, despite what his body was telling him. They needed more statements, the needed more clues. They hadn't even gotten to the bar staff yet, who were possible witnesses. Things were moving very slowly and David knew that the longer they took to find Emma, the more likely.

That is until at nine in the morning, an officer rushes into the station and goes right to the Commissioner's office.

"Boss!" someone yells, bursting into Gold's office.

"What is it?"

"There's security footage from the bar they were at… We have Miss Swan on tape!"

 _Thanks, guys. Please review and follow. Thanks to the reviewers who gave me the idea to have Emma at least caught on tape._


	15. Chapter 15

Arthur sits out on the porch of his home, smoking a cigarette, waiting for the wife and children to come back.

 _How can you hide such a thing from your family?_ He ponders, taking a long drag of his cigarette. _What purpose can holding her like this do for you and your children?_

Arthur's conscious seems to be battling his primal instincts, going back and forth like a tennis ball being swatted. Or Trump and Clinton during their presidential debates. He felt like he was wrestling with an alligator, putting down the guilty thoughts of what he had done, even though there weren't many.

 _She will wake up eventually and she will try to make a scene?_

 _Not while she's gagged…_

 _The chains and handcuffs!_

 _I can tell them it's the furnace._

 _How are you going to explain the lock?_

 _I'll tell her it's construction and the kids can't go down there._

 _This is all so insane; Gwen will figure it out eventually! And when she does she'll call the cops, release the girl, divorce you and put your ass in jail. Why did you do it anyways?_

 _I wanted to… I wanted her._

 _That's awful and you know that's not the reason._

 _I want to give us another chance. She wants one so badly._

 _She won't when she finds out…_

 _We'll cross that bridge when we get to it!_

 _Damn you!_

The sound of a car pulls into their gravel driveway. Arthur flicks his cigarette into the grass and stands up with a grin on his face.

Out of the car come the two little munchkins. Ben and Megan, both bright-eyed and lively children. Megan is almost eight, his little princess, a ballerina and an animal lover at heart. Little Ben is four with a love of dinosaurs and space.

"DADDY!" they yell, hopping out of the car and running into their dad's outstretched arms.

He lifts them both up into his arms, laughing out loud and enjoying their kisses.

"Did you miss us, Daddy?" Megan asks.

"We missed you," Ben says.

"What did you do when we were gone?"

"Why do you smell funny?"

"Grandpa took us fishing!"

"Ben caught a big fish!"

"Grandma made a cake with Ben!"

"I got to play with the animals at the petting zoo!"

"We got to pick apples on a farm!"

"Mommy said we could visit real soon!"

Arthur hardly listens to his children, so overwhelmed by their presences that he doesn't seem to care what they say. He swings them in his well-built arms before putting them on the grass.

"I did miss you and guess what? The tickle claw missed you too!"

He then begins tickling his two children as they shriek with laughter. The two roll around, trying to avoid his tickling hands, squirming and squealing in delight. Arthur's mind went back to focusing on his family life. When he's done getting the giggles out of his children, he looks up to see his wife smiling and getting the bags out of the trunk of their small car.

"How are you?" Arthurs asks, going over and kissing the side of her head. He reaches over to help with the suitcases.

"I'm fine but tired."

"Kids wear out your folks too?" Arthur asks, shutting the trunk.

"They were probably rejoicing when we left," Gwen says. The two parents follow their giggling children inside, their arms filled with overnight bags. "My parents say hi by the way."

"Don still got a bad hip?"

"He says he might need surgery soon."

"That's too bad," Arthur says. The kids have run upstairs to their shared room, giggling and running around.

"They missed you," Gwen says. "We wished you had come."

Arthur frowns. "You know your parents don't like me, not after I lost my job."

"I know," Gwen says. "But it wasn't the same without you." She sighs, knowing that all weekend she had to vouch for her unemployed husband. Her mother would not stop talking about her getting a divorce or leaving him, but not for the reason you might think. It would be a tactic to "light a fire under his ass" as her father put it and get him back on track. She would only return with the kids when he became gainfully employed again.

Gwen knew that this could not happen… Arthur would not get a job if she left. He'd always had a temper and was very sensitive. If she left with the kids, he might go on a murderous rampage or something. Gwen drags the bags upstairs with Arthur's help, going into their tiny bedroom. She tosses it on the bed and sighs heavily when she sees the place is a mess. Arthur needed a woman in his life. He was incompetent and possibly completely incapable of caring for himself without one; he'd live in filth until his clothes began to move on their own and mold began to grow in the sink. Gwen, of course, had given up a long time ago about trying to get him to change. He never would.

Gwen unpacks their bags and while Arthur unpacks the children's', she watches through the crack in their door, him wrestling with the two of them. She smiles gently.

This was not the way she had imagined her life would be. Obviously, it was not perfect by any means. She had been in college when she met Arthur, she studying to become a veterinarian, he… was mostly there for the parties. She met him at a frat party, he was guzzling beer and playing poker with his buddies. He spotted her across the room and offered to win a hand for her. They were mostly gambling cigarettes and junk change, but he won every hand if she was by his side. He called her his good luck charm and asked if he could get her some drinks. They had dated until Gwendolyn learned she was pregnant in the last year of her degree. Arthur agreed to marry her, and they eloped at the courthouse. She finished her final exam a few months before she gave birth to Megan, she was literally showing through her graduation robe. Arthur didn't graduate at all, dropping out to get a job and he got himself a job as a handyman. Both were over the moon, but life was tough. She managed to scrape together an okay living as a veterinarian's assistant, but Arthur had problems keeping a job down. He still likes to play poker, except this time, they gambled real money. They managed to buy this small house and give Megan a proper home, but they struggled. Arthur was aloof after a few years of marriage, but he was a devoted father. When Gwen gave birth to Ben, she thought that their family was complete. They both worked to give their children a good life, but it was still hard on all of them. The two of them couldn't afford to put Megan in dance classes like she asked for every Christmas or get Ben a trip to space camp for a week in the summer, it all made her sad in today's economy, it seemed rather hopeless. It's from this economy, that Arthur lost his job. She now worked longer hours to make ends meet and she was sure that Arthur was looking for a job, even though it seemed he was gambling a lot more than usual.

It was a year or so ago that Gwen knew she couldn't have any more children, they couldn't afford it, she had surgery to prevent any more pregnancies and Arthur did not take it well. He hated the medical bill, but also the secrecy, Gwen knew that he changed after that. The goofy and loving man she once knew was replaced by a paranoid and very aloof man. Nevertheless, they soldiered on, despite the many protests of her parents and friends telling her to leave. She couldn't destroy this family, even though it destroyed her sanity.

Gwen goes downstairs to find a sink filled with dirty dishes. She sighs and begins to prepare to wash them. As she goes for a new sponge in the back closet, she notices a large lock on the basement door. Confused, she tries the doorknob and finds it locked. When Arthur comes down with Ben under his arm, Gwen is back to washing dishes.

"What's with the lock?" Gwen asks.

"Oh that," Arthur says. "I'm starting a new construction project downstairs and I'm repairing the furnace. It's making weird noises. Gerry wants me to help by building a new scaffolding frame, he's agreed to spilt the pay with me, but it involves a lot of welding and such so I've locked it to keep the kids safe."

"Oh…" Gwen says. She's a little confused but is happy Arthur is getting paid for it.

"I promise it won't be for too long," Arthur says, biting his lip. "I just don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Alright," Gwen says.

Arthur begins drying the dishes as Ben goes to watch the Discovery Channel.

"So," Gwen says. "What did you do this weekend?"

 _Thanks, guys, please review and follow._


	16. Chapter 16

Mary Margret's phone buzzes on the nightstand. She moans and reaches over. The weight of carrying the baby has taken a lot of her energy and with Emma missing, it's ten times worse. She spent most of the day in bed, nodding in and out of consciousness with Elsa and Aurora bringing her things when she needed them. Killian and Henry came home late last night and didn't say very much before they both collapsed in bed and on the couch from exhaustion. The teacher had tried to at least do some lesson planning for her kids since she's missing the school and most likely the rest of the week, but she gives up, distressed and the image of Emma lying on the side of the road somewhere haunts her waking and sleeping moments.

She checks the ID. It's David. She hopes that he has some good news.

"Hi honey," she says.

"Hi, Mary. How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired."

"Did Killian and Henry make it home alright?"

"They're still sleeping."

"Well, you may want them to be awake because we have footage of Emma!"

"You do?!" Mary gasps nearly dropping her phone in shock. "Where? How? When? What…?"

"One of the officers was sent to the bar the girls attended and they have a security camera on the front of their bar and inside. We're just getting the tape now. We need a few people to positively identify her."

"I'll call Elsa and then get the boys ready."

"Please… be careful," David says, making sure his wife doesn't hurt herself in excitement.

"I will, I love you. I'll see you soon."

"I love you too."

Mary hangs up. She staggers out of the room at top speed and goes to the couch.

"Killian! Killian" she says loudly, shaking his shoulder. He's still in his clothes from the day before.

"Five more minutes," the Irish man mumbles, burying his face into the pillow.

"Get up, they have footage of Emma!"

Like he was struck by a lightning bolt, Killian sits up immediately, now wide awake.

"They do? Where is it? Does it catch her kidnapper? What are the cops going to do?"

"We'll find that out when we get there," Mary says. She rushes to Henry's room.

"Henry, Henry!" she says.

"What is it?" the teen moans, opening his hazel eyes.

"There is footage of Emma. We need to go down to the station to identify her."

Henry's heart pounds loudly as he sits up before practically racing to his closet for a change of clothes. He then runs for the shower. Mary Margret changes into some more clothes that Aurora was nice enough to go and get for her. Killian is splashing water on his face and cleaning himself up as best he can, as Mary picks up the phone and calls Elsa.

"Mary, what's wrong? Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm fine, we need to get down to the station, David says they have footage of Emma at the bar. We need to ID her!"

"I'll be right over, I'm bringing Anna too."

"Okay, but hurry."

Mary Margret begins to pace back and forth, calling the others and telling them the news. She paces for a little bit while she and Killian wait for Henry. That is until her feet get sore and she's forced to sit down at the kitchen table. Killian taps his foot impatiently.

"You should really get some change of clothes," she points out to Killian, trying to fill the silence.

"Aye, I will, it's just not been my top priority right now."

"I know," Mary sighs.

Henry rushes out with wet hair and clean clothing. The three of them lock up the apartment and head down to where Elsa and Anna are waiting in their car. Anna looks very pale and is a lot quieter than usual. Obviously, the abduction of her friend has made her very nervous and scared.

Elsa nearly runs every red light as they try to get to the station.

David is waiting for them, heavy bags under his eyes and a coffee in his hand. He opens his arms and hugs his pregnant wife tightly. Leroy sits on a bench nearby, downing coffee with whiskey in it.

"Took you long enough," Leroy growls.

Killian shoots him a dirty look and then the five people begin bombarding David with questions. The officer groans, his lack of sleep is getting to him, but he tells them that they're setting the video up right now.

Soon after, Ruby, Aurora, Regina, Zelena, Lacey, and MeyLing enter the station. Each of them embraces Henry, Mary Margret, and David. They are all ready to give their statements if it means finding their friend, Emma Swan.

David hears a buzzing in his walkie-talkie, indicating that they are ready. He leads down a hall to a room with a projector. On the screen is a frozen image of what looks like the inside of a bar. No one can see the name of the bar, but the neon lights can be seen along the bottom of the screen. It's a good view of the bar overall, with the chairs, tables, and people sitting around, as well as a good view of the stage area where karaoke was held. There is a figure standing just underneath the camera in a black shirt. One could assume that this was the bouncer for the bar. The time and date are in the top right corner of the screen. There are several chairs set out for everyone and the room quickly fills up with Emma's friends and loved ones. Even Commissioner Gold is there, David and Nova insisted on it since it was an important case, but the main reason was to prove to him that Emma didn't just take off.

Nova has the footage on her laptop and she dims the lights so the picture can be seen better. It's not the best quality, but it's all they have.

Once everyone is settled, Nova speaks and presses the record button as this can be credible evidence.

"So, Miss French?"

"Yes?" Lacey says, sitting up to attention.

"It was your birthday that everyone was celebrating?"

"Yes, ma' me."

"And according to Miss Lucas and Mills, you started in _The Blue Diamond Bar_?"

"Yes," all the friends say in almost unison.

"And was anyone sober enough to remember the name of the next bar you went to?"

"I do," Elsa says, "It was the _Good Luck Chuck Wagon_ ,"

"Okay, now we were given at least three hours of footage. This is the inside camera, and then we'll look at the outside. We need to know the moments that led up to Emma leaving the bar. We might find someone who had talked to her and such. In a few seconds, your party will walk into the bar and I want you to identify yourselves in the frame, understood?"

The friends nod.

Nova presses play and the entire room goes dead silent as they watch, almost immediately a group of brightly dressed girls comes into frame. Nova freezes as the women seem to be dancing into the shot.

"That's me in red," Ruby points out.

"I'm in the bright green dress," Anna says. "And red hair."

"Emerald green dress," Zelena says, even going up to the screen to point herself out.

"Platinum blonde and blue dress," Elsa says.

"Navy blue dress and tiara," Lacey says.

"Dark hair and dress," Regina says.

"Pink dress," Aurora says.

"My dress has yellow in it," MeyLing says.

"And there's Emma," David says pointing out the only other blonde in the shot.

"I can't believe the bouncer let us in, we were practically hammered by then," Ruby mutters.

"Now I'm going to play the video. I want you to keep your eye on Emma the whole time. Point out anything that might be important."

Everyone nods and then Nova presses play. The entire room is in silence again as they watch their blonde friend in the bar. They can't help but occasionally watch themselves, seeing what they were doing. The group sees Anna going up for singing, along with Lacey, Ruby, Elsa and Anna and then the whole group. The group then sort of splits off afterward. Eyes are kept on Emma as often as possible. The entire room seems to be holding its breath, watching the night unfold. They see Ruby dance on a tabletop until the bartender comes over to her. Regina hanging out with the DJ in the far corner. Anna hogging the spotlight and microphone on stage, MeyLing, and Aurora chatting away with random patrons. Eventually, they see Emma walk over and sit at the bar while Lacey lines up for the bathroom in the far upper left corner of the screen. A few people squint to see what's going on with Emma Swan. She takes out what looks like a phone once and then puts her head down for a moment. Then a man walks past her, obstructing the view of their friend for a moment and then everyone sees Emma again.

"Wait Nova, rewind!" David says.

Nova does so.

"Zoom into the bar."

Nova fiddles with her computer and gets the image closer.

"Watch what happens to Emma's drink," David says.

Nova presses play and they all watch.

The drink Emma has is shining slightly in the light of the bar and everyone can see that it's about half full, but as the man in dark coloured clothing passes by, it's full again. Nova pauses it and replays it several times to be sure.

"Bloody hell!" Killian says. "He switched her drink."

"It might've been laced with a date rape drug or something," Ruby says.

"She doesn't notice," MeyLing points out.

"Please don't tell me she drinks it?" Anna moans.

Nova presses play and sure enough, Emma doesn't notice the difference, she drinks from her glass and then stumbles out the door, and out of frame. Nova records the time for the outside camera.

"Where does that guy go?!" Mary Margret asks, leaning forward in her seat. "Rewind Nova!"

She does so and everyone watches this man, all dressed in gray, the problem is, his face is in profile and they can't make out any features due to the grainy quality of the footage.

"Who the hell is he?!" Killian practically yells. "He's done something to Emma."

"We can almost fully confirm that."

They all watch as the man walks out of frame.

"DAMNIT!" David growls.

They all watch intently, waiting for the man to come back into the frame but he never does.

"WHERE DID HE GO?!" Henry shouts at the screen.

"Is there a back door to the bar?" Nova asks.

"The officer didn't ask," David groans.

"I'm switching to outdoor cam, maybe we'll get this guy in the act."

"We can't be sure if he did grab Emma until we see it," Gold mumbles, mostly to himself.

Nova switches to the outside, with the bald head of a bouncer in one corner. She fast-forwards to the time that Emma was leaving. Everyone watches with bated breath as Emma stumbles out, her blonde hair reflecting the street light, she seems to be looking at her phone and swaying slightly. She then goes to the furthest part of the camera, just barely out of view but everyone can still see her dress and her slight movements. She's cast in shadow, which is not a good sign at all. Everyone's hearts are racing in fear, worry, and desperation. They see Emma sit down for a few moments. Then there's another shadow, but it's so indistinct that no one can see who it is. There's more movement and then the two shadows vanish from sight.

"WHAT?!" Henry yells, tears in his eyes and jumping out of his chair. "THAT CAN'T BE THE END! WHERE'S MY MOM?!"

Mary Margret puts her hand gently on the teenager's shoulder, trying to calm him, but they were all feeling the exact same way. Frustrated and very upset. Mary Margret is also close to crying, upset, and thinking, what if this was the last time she ever saw her friend. Elsa felt guilt in her stomach, being so worried about Anna that she didn't pay attention to when her friend was in trouble. Lacey wished she hadn't been throwing up. Zelena, mostly wishing she hadn't been making out with the guys. Ruby in hooking up with her group. Regina, seeing Henry's distress, wished that she wasn't so distracted by Graham to keep an eye on Emma. MeyLing and Aurora felt the guilt of not inviting Emma over to talk with them. It was clear to everyone in the room that Emma did not run away, she was drugged by a man dressed in gray, who somehow managed to slip away without being noticed.

"How do we know it's the same guy?" Nova asks quietly

"How could it not be?" Ruby says as if it's obvious. "He obviously knew she was inebriated and that she'd go outside for fresh air. It happens with most drugs, I've had people say that their body temperature increases, causing them to go outside to cool off and then being picked up by the rapist"

Mary Margret shoots Ruby a look as Henry's colour drains from his face at the mention of rape.

"That's one possibility," David says, trying to calm the uneasy feeling in all their stomachs. The thought of Emma being raped…

"Zoom in a rewind Nova."

The officer obeys, but no matter how many times they rewind and zoom, they can't tell who it is and whether it's the same man. David's heart sinks as well as almost everyone else's.

"Are there any more cameras in the area?" David asks.

"I don't know," Nova says. "We'll have to check."

Henry is practically crying now, wiping his tears away in embarrassment, but he can't help it. He's worried about his mom, they all are.

"Don't give up hope just yet Henry," Nova says. "At least we know your mom didn't run away and we now know when she went missing. I know it's not enough, but it's a start."

Nova kneels down to look Henry in the eyes as he's slumped over in sadness.

"We'll find her buddy, I promise. We just need to know who this man is and where he went."

 _Thank you_ , _everyone. Sorry, but Arthur did not make it easy for the cops to trace him. Please review because it really helps out._


	17. Chapter 17

_Is this real life?_

Emma moans and struggles to open her heavy eyelids, not that she wants to. She's literally in a living nightmare and she'd rather be in a drug induced coma her captor has created to continue enduring his abuse of her. She doesn't know how long she's been out and it's clear that nothing has changed except her restraints. Her hands are still handcuffed together and she's chained hands and feet to the bed. She's also been gagged with duct tape to prevent any further noise.

It takes a little while before Emma feels that the drug is truly wearing off. Her stomach is uneasy and her head is throbbing. Two doses of the drug are not good for her body, it drains any strength she has and deprives her of food for long periods of time. Obviously, she has to keep fighting, but at the same time, the more she fights, the more this guy will drug her.

Emma's not sure what she can do next except cry. She's in the dark again; she has no sense of time or space. She can hardly make a sound and her joints have been restrained to the point that her body is stiff and is aching. The only sense that doesn't seem to let her down is her hearing. She begins listening above her, for any sign of life. There's nothing, but silence.

Emma continues to cry, her sobs muffled by the tape, feeling so utterly helpless. She had little hope and her mind lists all the possibilities of what could happen to her. There have been kidnap victims who have ben with their captor so long, they develop Stockholm Syndrome and never leave. She thought that maybe this man was breaking her down so she gave up trying to escape. There are those who bear their captor's children and are held for so many years. Emma did not want to be one of them. She knew that most abductions usually ended up with murder within the first 48 hours, but as far as she can tell, it's been much longer. She hopes that this man wasn't torturing and raping her before he killed her. She thought of her son, and her boyfriend, and her friends, they would never know what happened to her. So many questions swirled in her head, but the biggest one was why? Why of all people did he pick her?

 ** _Why? Why? WHY?!_**

…

It's a little while before the sounds of footsteps are heard above her. They are the same footsteps of this man that creak along till they reach the door. The sound of keys jingling and the doorknob opening, casting the same amount of light and the same shadow down the staircase.

Emma tries to prepare herself. She doesn't know what this man was going to do. Was he back for more? Or was he bringing her food?

Emma begins moving, trying to make as much noise as possible, to get anyone else's attention in this house. Anyone besides this monster. She yells as best she can through the tape and bangs her chains against the bed, making a clanking noise.

"Shut up!" the man orders as he shuts the door and comes down the stairs.

Emma refuses to listen and carries on. She had to fight, he would not break her down.

"I said SHUT UP!" he orders.

Emma can't see him, but she's crying and trying to remain brave. She's preparing herself to fight once again, even though she's at more of a disadvantage than before.

"SHUT Up or I won't feed you," the man's voice practically snarls.

Emma wants to carry on, refusing to give up, but her stomach growls and her joints protest her noise making. She knows she needs the nourishment, so she stops.

"That's better," the man says.

Emma can hear him put something down beside the bed.

"You're lucky the wife and kids are at work and school, otherwise I'd be getting the juice again."

Emma feels the man sit on the bed, she can hear his heavy breathing, the heat and obnoxious smell of beer that makes her shudder. Emma waits as the man seemingly unwraps the chain, giving her some leeway to eat. But before he does this, she can see the blue bolt of the Taser; he's threatening her into submission, so if she tries to attack, she'll be tasered. Once her hands are mostly free, Emma reaches up and removes the tape from her mouth, feeling relief from being gagged.

"You think bringing me food and threatening me will make me cooperate?"

"Considering you're important to me and if you want to avoid more juice or a world of pain, you'd better." He warns.

"I can't exactly see what I'm doing," Emma says angrily.

The man gets up from the bed and plugs in the same lamp from before. Emma can actually see more of his features than before. His dark and hungry eyes. His messy beard and thick hair… and his sullen expression. Once the room is lit up slightly, he loosens the chains at Emma's feet enough to allow her to sit up. Emma slowly stretches her body a bit, as far as she can go as the man sits little ways from the bed, on a wooden crate or something, holding the taser menacingly.

Emma looks down at the tray he brought her, once again it's very bland food, but she picks it up obediently and ravenously eats.

"You'd get more regular meals if you didn't struggle so much," the man says quietly. "You leave me no choice but to inject the juice.

Emma continues looking down, saying nothing and avoiding this man's stare. She never wanted to see this man's eyes again, not after she was forced to look into them the first time her raped her. She could almost see her own soul reflected at her and could see the terror and pain she was in. She takes a sip of cool water, relaxing her throat again.

"I know you probably think of me as a monster and honestly, you're not wrong. What I'm doing is sinful."

"And evil," Emma murmurs.

"That too."

"Why did you bring me here?!" Emma says, finally able to say it out loud.

"It's complicated," the man says.

"Usually it's not," Emma says. "Usually a sexual predator abducts young women to fulfill their sick and twisted fantasies."

"That's mostly true, but you Emma Swan have another purpose."

The colour drains from Emma's face. _He knew her name! Dear god, he knew her name. Had he been stalking her?!_

"How do you know my name?"

"You had your purse on you when I picked you up. You can learn a lot about a person just by their wallet alone. By the way, that picture of you and your son is quite nice."

Emma nearly jumps off the bed and goes after the man's throat. He had invaded her personal privacy, gathering information about her and now he was acting like he knew all about her. Emma grinds her teeth together and stays silent.

"Anyway, I need you, Emma."

"What could you possibly need me for?"

"Children."

Emma's stomach drops immediately and she begins to feel sick. A chill goes up to her spine and it feels as if her legs have no longer any strength. She wants to go after the man's throat again. She tries to fight back the tears of fear and disgust.

The man clears his throat. "My wife had an operation a year ago that makes her unable to bear children, I, however, did not approve of this and she went behind my back about it. It's always been clear to me that the only thing keeping us together is our children, and since I lost my job, I know Gwendolyn is keener on leaving me than ever before. I need another child and you, Miss Swan, are going to give it to me."

"Over my dead body!" Emma screams, releasing all the pent-up anger she had inside herself. "You are a twisted individual." She yells a variety of obscenities at him. "If you wanted another kid, there are more legal ways to get another kid like adoption or a surrogate!'

"Those were my first choices Emma," her skin crawls as he says her name as if he's her friend. "But like I said before, I am unemployed and we cannot afford it."

"I think your wife made the right decision to sterilize herself if she's carrying your children. You're a f***ed up man and your children would be the same."

The man suddenly springs at her. He pins her down on the bed, his hands around her throat and squeezes the breath out of her. Emma's head is throbbing and her throat begins to burn almost immediately. She tries gasping for air and her eyes are swollen with tears.

"Don't you EVER talk about my children like that!" the man hisses through gritted teeth. She can feel is hot breath, but can't smell the foul odour of beer on his breath. He continues to squeeze as if her throat is a pop can. Emma is wheezing, on the verge of passing out from the lack of oxygen. "If you ever say something like that again, I'll have to dispose of you and find a new surrogate."

The man then releases her throat and Emma gasps for air. She can see black spots before her eyes and she's crying again. She feels so weak and helpless; this man is in control and he's very dangerous. He could very well kill her with his bare hands and he's established the power over her. He now knows that she will cooperate with the ever-present threat of death hanging over her head.

Emma gags and falls weakly on the bed.

"I'm sorry," he says abruptly. "I lost my temper there, but now you know why I need a baby from you. You're already a mother, so I know you have it in you."

Emma manages to gasp out a few words in anger and defiance.

"Go to hell," before she blacks out.

Arthur stands over his limp prisoner, he should've known that she would be like this. She's as stubborn as a mule, but she is still worth it. She can give him what Gwen took away.

He loosens his belt buckle and shuts the light off.

…

Once he's done, Arthur, re-binds the chains to the bed and adds a fresh strip of duct tape to her mouth. Emma is still unconscious, probably for the best considering what he does to her, but he needed a baby and this was the only way he would get one from her. He wanted to keep Gwendolyn and his family together.

This was the only way.

 _Now we know why Arthur took Emma. Sorry to the reviewer who doesn't want Emma to get pregnant from this, but things might turn out differently than what you might expect. Bet you can't guess what that might be. Thank you for the reviews and please keep it up._


	18. Chapter 18

"Please state your name for the records."

"Will Scarlett,"

A young-looking man with an oddly square head and dark hair trimmed into a buzz cut sits down in the lone chair in front of a metal table. His dark eyes look at the officer in front of him and shifts nervously, his leg going up and down. He wears a brown leather jacket and dark pants that give an almost casual look to him. He has no idea why he's here, he's just hoping it has nothing to do with him.

"Age?" Jack asks.

"25."

"Alright, thank you for coming in voluntarily Mr. Scarlett, now I want to discuss where you were last Friday night."

"What's this for?" Will says, shifting in his chair.

"Are you aware that your roommate, Killian Jones's girlfriend, Emma Swan has been abducted?"

"Is that why he's been away? Robin told me he was havin' a weekend with her. I assumed as much because that's what I was doin' too."

"Can you elaborate on that statement?"

"How'd you mean sir?"

"What does having a weekend mean?"

"Well, it's pretty self-explanatory it is, a man spends the weekend with his girl… sleepin' with her mostly. You know what I mean mate?"

"I get the picture thank you," Jack grimaces. "So you were with a girl all weekend?"

"Yes I was,"

"What was her name?"

"Ana. Anastasia Reynolds. Right, pretty girl, she's from Canada believe it or not."

"That's nice Mr. Scarlett, but what time did you meet up with Anastasia? Did you see your roommate Mr. Jones at all?"

"Not really. No," Will says.

"How is that?" Jack asks.

"Well he usually gets home at about half-past six and I was already out the door, havin' dinner with Ana."

"And you were gone all weekend?"

"I was," Will nods. "We stayed at her place."

"Never came home for anything like a toothbrush or clean clothes?"

"No sir, I was prepared I was."

"When did you get home?"

"Monday mornin' I had to go to work after that."

"And where do you work?"

"I'm the assistant manager at a _Pizza Hut_."

"Did you see your roommate, Killian Jones at all, since Thursday?

"Not at all. Mate, did you know that a girl can wear a bra inside out? It starts with…"

Behind the glass, David, Nova, Regina, Leroy, Ruby, Lacey, Zelena and Elsa watch the interview. Aurora, Killian, Henry and Mary Margret were at home taking it easy.

"Well this has been a waste of time," Leroy grumbles. "The guy is totally useless."

"He may be a slag, but he's no abductor," Ruby agrees.

"We still have to cover all the options. I guess the other roommate will have to back up Killian's alibi," David says.

"He sure does love to talk," Nova says. "I think we'll actually have to tell him to shut up."

"He could fill a book with dirty innuendos and sex talk," Ruby says, surprised that they found a man who had a dirtier mind than she did. Ruby usually kept her exploits to herself and only shared them with her trusted friends. This guy is babbling on and on, to a police officer no less, about his physical relationship with this girl, Ana.

"Tell Jack to get back in here, Will Scarlett is pretty much crossed off the list," Nova says.

David knocks on the glass to tell Jack to wrap it up.

"You're free to go Mr. Scarlett."

"I am?"

"Thank you for your time," Jack says, opening the door.

Will walks out of the room and down the hall towards the exit at a fast pace, as if trying not to give the officers the opportunity to change their minds about him. Jack shakes his head before heading into the adjacent room where everyone else is.

"Who's the other roommate?" Jack asks.

"Robin Locksley," Nova says, looking at the list. "I think he's in the front lobby."

"I'll bring him in," David says.

The others wait with baited breath as David escorts a handsome man, about thirty, with a full, but well-trimmed beard of light brown hair and soulful blue eyes. Regina is taken aback by his looks. He looks very mature and walks with a sort of confidence that she can't seem to find in men these days.

 _Sort of rugged, but very sophisticated,_ she thinks to herself.

Reflexively, she puts her hair behind her ear, until she realizes that he can't see her. Her heart races slightly and she keeps her eyes on this man as he takes a seat in the room.

Jack then trades places with David to begin the interview.

"Hello," Jack says.

"Good morning," Robin says pleasantly, even offering his hand to the officer. Jack accepts it with surprise.

 _Well mannered too_ , Regina thinks.

"Let me just tell you right now, you are not under arrest for anything. We just want you to back up your roommate, Killian Jones' alibi," Jack says. "We know you don't know anything about the case, but we can't leave no stone unturned, understood?"

"Yes," Robin nods.

"Please state your name for the record."

"Robin, Robin Jeffery Locksley."

"Age."

"31,"

 _Older man… Is that good or bad?_

"So can you tell me what happened last Friday?"

"Well, I got home from work at around four. I'm a personal trainer at the athletics center across town…

 _Athletic too!_

"I was really tired so I grabbed myself a brew and turned on the TV to watch _CSI: Miami_ on cable."

"Did you see your other roommate Mr. Scarlett?"

"Only briefly, he had a duffle bag over his shoulder and told me he was taking his girl Ana out and would be gone all weekend. I just nodded and let him do what he wanted."

"What time did Killian Jones get home?"

"Same time he does every day, half-past six. He took a shower because he always stank of rotting fish and seawater. Then he heated up some leftovers for us and we talked about our day."

"Then what happened?"

"Well I continued watching _CSI_ until _Sherlock_ came on after eight,"

Jack keeps himself very professional, knowing that Robin is poking holes in Killian's story as the docks man says that he was watching a big football game in the apartment.

"And what was Killian Jones doing during this time?"

"He was mostly on his computer at the kitchen table. He showed me a text from his girlfriend, Emma, before she went out for the night. And then… I think it was around nine, he grabbed his coat and said he was going out."

Jack does his best not to gasp. The others, however, on the other side of glass do just that. This proves that Killian was lying about his whereabouts. Could he have something to do with the crime? It was unlikely, but what other reason could he have for lying.

"Do you know where he went?"

"Not really, it's a habit of his," Robin says. "I don't ask because it's none of my business."

"So then what happened?"

"Well, I was tired so I took a hot shower and then read in bed till I fell asleep."

"Did you ever hear Mr. Jones come in?"

"No, but in the morning, I found him in his bed, he had his clothes on from the night before. He also reeked of booze. I assumed that he had gone out to a bar and gotten drunk, but I knew he was trying to lay off the alcohol, mostly for his girl, Emma, so I didn't mention it when he woke up. I went to work afterward and when I came home, Killian wasn't around. I texted him and it took awhile for him to respond. He told me that Emma was missing and he'd be staying at her place with her friends and her son."

"Were you worried about Killian at all?"

"A little bit, I didn't think it was anything serious until you called me in today. How is he doing?"

"He's trying to stay strong. He should be at home resting right now," Jack says casually.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Robin asks.

"We'll let you know, but you are certain that Mr. Jones went out on Friday night?"

"Yes sir, I was home alone most of the evening."

"Thank you, if you'll mind waiting here for a few minutes, I'll be right back.

"If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

 _Caring and compassionate._

Jack exits the room and joins everyone else behind the glass.

"So Killian lied to us," David says, his face grim with disappointment. He had thought that Killian was a good and honest man that would never ever harm Emma, but now it was clear, he had something to hide.

"Only to cover up that he was drinking again," Ruby points out.

"It still questions his credibility," Nova says. "If he lied about where he was, what else could he be lying about?"

"Would he really be practically camping out at his girlfriend's apartment and crying if he had kidnapped her?" Ruby says. She understood why Killian had lied. Addiction to alcohol was embarrassing, especially for those who were trying to be clean and he was obviously afraid to tell anyone. His going out on Friday might imply that he had grabbed Emma, but if Ruby was honest, lying about where he was just made it worse.

"We'll have to bring him in again," David says.

"He only did it to save himself embarrassment. It's not illegal to lie, it's not like this is in court where he swore on a stack of Bibles. Right, Regina?"

Regina isn't listening, she still staring at Robin Locksley as if in a trance.

"Regina!" Ruby says, getting her to come back to reality.

"Sorry, what?"

Ruby rolls her eyes and Zelena eyes her suspiciously.

"I'll go have someone call Killian back," Nova says.

"You're going to let Mr. Locksley go, right?" Regina asks.

"Yes, but he needs to stay here in case we need him again. Jack, you can escort him to the lobby," David says.

Jack does so and Regina finds herself following him as if she'll get a chance to talk to him. She can't understand what it is about him, but she's drawn to him like a moth to a flame. She keeps her distance but follows the two men, like a loyal puppy until Robin sits down in one of the many chairs in the lobby of the station.

Regina all of a sudden feels really nervous in approaching him. Her heart is racing and her head is spinning. She takes very cautious steps towards him as if he's a bomb waiting to blow up. She takes a seat next to him.

Robin looks up at her in surprise and then gives her a warm smile.

"Good morning," he says in an accented voice.

Regina finds herself blushing.

"I wish it was a good morning, with Emma and all,"

"Ah yes, I can't imagine what Killian must be feeling. Are you a friend of Emma's?"

"Yes, I was also her son's nanny for many years. She and I are close."

"I see," Robin says. He checks his phone before looking up at Regina's beautiful features and enchanting eyes.

"So… you uh live around here?" Regina asks, trying to make small talk.

"Yes I do, I live with Killian and I work at the gym across town."

"Really?" she says, trying not to let on that she already knows this.

"Yes, I'm a personal trainer."

"Any special area of focus?" Regina asks.

"I mostly do everything, but archery is my favourite."

"Really?" Regina says, putting some of her dark hair behind her ear. She tries to bat her eyelashes at him.

"Yes, in fact, I find…"

Suddenly, Robin's phone buzzes with a call. The screen says, **_Marian_**.

Regina's heart immediately drops to her stomach. She quickly tries to find an excuse. Maybe Marian was his mother or sister?

"Oh, excuse me, it's my wife," he says, getting up to take the call in private.

That is the nail in the coffin of Regina's hope of being with him. For some reason, she immediately saw a future with this man, getting married and having a happy life with him. They couldn't have children because of her condition and since he said the W-word, Regina's heart feels like it's being smashed.

 _Does fate not want me to have a man?_ She screams in frustration in her head. _Is it because of the stupid car accident I had in high school? Why should I still be paying for this now?_

Regina tries to fight the tears coming to her eyes.

 _I finally find someone I actually like and he already has someone. Figures as much, I'm destined to be alone because I can't have children._

Suddenly, Regina's phone buzzes. She pulls it out miserably and looks at the text.

 ** _Hopin', we could have a repeat of Friday, u free?_**

It's from Graham the DJ. She manages a small smile, remembering how great the two of them were together. She doesn't know where she stands with Graham. He hadn't called since they had been together and she did send him a text. He did reply, but they were short one word answers. Sure… Graham was handsome and amazing in bed, but…

Her phone buzzes again.

 ** _Sorry, I haven't given you attention, been really busy. If you'd like to meet up for coffee and something else, I'll give you my full undivided attention. ;-)_**

Regina smiles to herself and his manners and sort of cute humor. She looks over at Robin who is the corner still talking on the phone.

 _I may not have a shot with him, but maybe Graham is worth a try._

 ** _Sounds like fun, I'd like that : ),_** she texts back.

 _Didn't think I would forget Robin, would you? Now you know why Killian's story was bit suspicious. Thank you for all the comments and keep them coming._


	19. Chapter 19

Arthur sits out on the porch, sipping a beer, watching his neighbours rake their leaves, have coffee on the porch, some of their children ride their bikes as it will likely be the last few nice days of pleasant weather. There is a slight chill in the air, which does get Arthur thinking about Emma in the basement. She's not useful to him if she catches pneumonia, that could very well kill her.

He ponders over the question that Emma had screamed at him. Why was he doing this?

His main reason was to give this family one more child. Megan and Ben play together on the front lawn, kicking a soccer ball between themselves, giggling when one of them kicks the ball too far. They then race each other to get it first.

Arthur liked this life. It certainly wasn't perfect, but he had an amazing blessing, a family. Two beautiful angels that made him feel like a good person, despite his gambling and his…fantasies. Emma fulfilled that purpose as well. It had been a long time since he and Gwen had had an intimate night together. She was always working late or was too tired to do so. The spark they had was out, had been like that for a long time, but with the beautiful blonde in his basement, it captured some of that excitement and thrill, despite the fact that she was not a consenting partner. Arthur knew a long time ago that his ideas of being intimate were twisted and he never sought help because he would be locked up for being a sex offender for sure. Everyone would judge him and he'd ruin his family's already delicate life. He remembers times when he got too rough with Gwen and left her afraid and sometimes bruised. It would take her awhile to even sleep in the same bed as him again, despite his apologies. She wasn't into anything that he was, and so he buried it inside himself, trying to be a normal man, but once in awhile, especially after a few beers, the urges came out.

There was also the prospect of having another child. When Gwen told him about the surgery, Arthur had lost it, breaking half the glassware in the house and going on a drunken stupor around the neighbourhood. The neighbours called the police as they thought it was a domestic disturbance. Arthur was fined for it and Gwen left with the kids to her parents' house for a week until Arthur told her that he was in rehab and trying to control his anger. Surprisingly, she did come back and he hoped things would go back to normal. Yet, the prospect of not having another child hurt him. He wanted to bring another life into the world, but now that Gwen had stopped that, he had to find another way.

He thought about adoption or surrogacy, but those cost a lot of money and with him unemployed, it would be unlikely that he would be considered suitable for adoption with his arrest. Plus their tiny house and mediocre living space weren't good either.

Arthur thought long and hard about what he could do. He thought about knocking up a waitress or something, someone who could keep the child until it was born and was still technically his. He did what many surrogate searchers look for, "the perfect woman." He spent many nights looking and when he came across young Emma, he knew he'd found the one. Her unique traits were perfect, especially if she has a girl. He originally intended to just drug and have his way with her once, but in that moment, a sick fantasy re-emerged and he took her home. He felt thrilled and excited at what he was doing, and yet scared. He knew this was way worse than putting their family into huge debt over adoption, but… he kept going. He had Emma now and if she could give him what he wanted… he might let her go.

Megan and Ben go to play at the neighbours and their father tells them to be home by 5. Arthur goes inside and prepares some food for Emma as well as ice packs to help with what happened when he attacked her. He sneaks downstairs and checks on Emma.

…

Emma's throat burns as she opens her eyes. She doesn't know how long it's been, but she's very weak after being severely deprived of oxygen. Her entire body aches and she's practically drowning in her tears. The tape over her mouth prevents her from breathing fully, so she tries to take deep breaths in through her nose. Her mind races to recall what happened before. She remembers what this man had said, that he wanted a baby from her.

 _I have to escape_ she thinks desperately. _I'm not just some abducted surrogate_.

Eventually, she hears keys and the door opens again. Emma again tries to make some noise with her handcuffs and muffled voice, but the man shuts it.

He comes down, turns on the light, causing her to squint. He removes the tape from her mouth and loosens the chains to allow her to eat.

Emma didn't want to try and reason with this man. He had abducted her to be his slave and surrogate in the middle of the night, but he did have a family. Surely, he would understand her desperation to get back to her own son.

Emma finds more food than before as well as ice water and ice packs.

"They're for your throat," Arthur says quietly, sitting on the crate again, watching her. "You'll probably have some bruising from it. This should keep the swelling down."

Emma is stunned, it's as if he's trying to make it up to her for what he's done by giving her ice packs for an injury he caused. It hurts for her to breathe and it hurts to swallow the food, nevertheless, she eats what she can.

"I sometimes lose control, especially when someone insults my children," Arthur says quietly.

"So trying to silence me permanently helps with that?" Emma wheezes angrily.

Arthur shakes his head. "I have no excuse," he says.

"No, you don't," Emma says. She wants to shout obscenities at him, but she doesn't need him breaking her neck.

"I was out of line and I should be treating you better."

"Right, like how you treat all your sex slaves."

Arthur ignores her comment. "You don't know what it's like to be me."

"No, I don't, I'm not some messed up psychopath who wants to impregnate an abducted woman."

"I'm not a psychopath," Arthur says through gritted teeth.

"You sure act like one," Emma mutters.

Arthur cracks his knuckles and stays silent.

"Is there a bathroom in this hellhole?" Emma asks, thinking if there's a window in it and she's out of his sight for awhile, she might be able to think of an escape.

Once Emma is done and drinks the water, he unchains her and leads her into the darker part of his workshop, to an area with a door. Inside is a toilet, sink, and shower. He shuts the door and waits outside of it in case she tries to run.

Alone, Emma scans the bathroom and to her despair, there is no window, it's just a room carved out of concrete. Emma feels the need to cry again. She sits on the toilet and sobs a little bit longer.

"You can have a shower if you want," Arthur's voice says from the other side of the door. "There are towels under the sink."

Emma doesn't want to do anything, but a hot shower might be good for her. She uses the bathroom and then turns on the hot water. She steps into it.

The hot water on her bare skin feels soothing in a way, despite the handcuffs and chains on her ankles. She feels almost at home again and it was a relief to wash the sweat and dirt she's covered in. She uses a bar of soap to clean herself up as best she can, but she still can't wash off what he's done to her. She knew she never would be able to. She just wants to stay in the shower forever, away from him and this nightmare. The water did a good job of masking her tears.

Eventually, the man bangs on the door telling her to finish up. Reluctantly, Emma dries herself and as she gets back into the clothing she's been wearing, she looks at herself in the mirror.

She can't recognize the person anymore. Her eyes are bloodshot, her hair, limp and almost colourless. Her skin is pale, her body thin and shaking and there are bruises on her neck, as well as other places on her body. Emma can feel more tears burning her eyes. She was a prisoner and she was almost wasting away. This man was destroying every aspect of her life, slowly but surely.

Emma slowly walks out and the man grabs the chains around her hands again to prevent her from trying to run. He leads her back to the bed and re-chains her up, Emma crying silently as he does so. The man had no remorse for what he was doing. Of course, he was a psychopath, twisted and demented. And yet, he had some humanity, he had a family and he wanted a child from her. Emma decides to try reasoning.

"Please," Emma begs, quietly. "I have a son at home."

"So do I," the man responds.

"Aren't you worried about what he'll think of you when he figures out what you're doing?" Emma asks.

The man frowns at her and his face flushes red. Emma winces as if waiting for him to attack her again. Instead, he reapplies the tape.

"Try not to make noise," he says grimly. "I'd hate to hurt you, especially when you'll be carrying my baby."

He shuts the light off and heads upstairs.

…

Later that night, Arthur is watching TV while Gwen puts the children to bed. When she comes down, they talk about their day. She curls up next to him on the couch.

"Anything happen?" she asks.

"Nothing," Arthur says. He gives his wife a small hug and she lays her head in his lap.

Then a news story flashes on the screen.

A female reporter sits at a desk, reading the teleprompter. "Breaking News, a young woman, by the name of Emma Swan was abducted last Friday night at a bar while out partying with her friends."

An image of Arthur's prisoner flashes on the screen.

"Friends ae extremely worried about her well-being and know for certain that she would not leave her life completely. Lieutenant David Nolan of the Boston Police Department is in charge of the case and had this to say."

A news video of a brown-haired police officer appears as he speaks to a reporter.

"We are doing everything we can to bring her home safe and sound. Most of the Boston Police Department is tracking down any possible leads and would like to let Emma know that we are looking for her."

A reporter at a desk re-appears. "According to Lieutenant Nolan, Emma Swan works in the police department and is a trusted member of their community. Commissioner Gold has declined to comment at the moment, but many of Miss Swan's friends are desperate to find her and are willing to make statements and offer rewards if it will bring her home."

A video of a girl with dyed red hair comes on screen. The caption **_Ruby Lucas, a friend, and witness_** is next to it.

"Please, can someone just come forward. Emma has a life and family of her own and she doesn't deserve whatever's happened. So please, if you know something, call the police."

"One of Emma Swan's most trusted friends gave an emotional plea for her friend's life."

A woman with short dark hair and tears in her eyes stands in front of the camera, tears in her hazel eyes. The caption reads **_Mary Margret Nolan, a_ **_**friend**._ A young boy whom Arthur recognizes from the photo from Emma's wallet stands next to her and the man, Killian stands in the background, both looking depressed.

"I don't know what kind of monster would abduct an innocent mother. Emma's had a hard enough life as it is and she doesn't deserve this. She has a son and a life of her own and she's not just some runaway. She has people who love her and want her to be brought home. Emma if you're out there, please know that we love you and we will find you."

The mic then moves to the son, who's on the verge of crying himself. It reads **_Henry Swan-Cassidy, son_**.

"Please don't hurt my mom. We'll do anything to get her back. Mom, I love you. Please don't give up." He then leans into Mary Margret.

The story the goes back to the reporter. "There is a chance to help look for Miss Swan as search parties are being organized as we speak. Miss Swan is described as 5 foot 4, with blonde hair, green eyes and was last seen wearing a dark blue dress in a downtown Boston bar called The _Goodluck Chuck Wago_ n. If you have any information, please contact the Boston Police Department." The contact number flashes on the screen.

"Isn't that sad?" Gwen says from Arthur's lap.

Arthur looks down at his wife and nods.

"I hope they find her soon, no kid deserves to lose their mother."

 _Thank you, readers. Please follow and review. Thanks to luvfordelena and all your comments. Please keep in mind that as the semester goes on, I might not be able to update every day._


	20. Chapter 20

"What the bloody hell?" Killian says as David roughly pushes him back into the interrogation room.

"Sit down," David says sharply.

Killian swallows, hard and looks down to see David's gun at his hip. He reluctantly takes a seat behind the metal table. David shuts the door. He turns to face Killian.

"What's going on?" Killian asks in confusion.

"We have a problem Mr. Jones," David says, standing at the table, staring down at him.

"What?" he swallows hard, thinking that they might've found Emma's body, he certainly wasn't ready for that. But David was more angry than sad, so it was something else.

"Your alibi does not check out."

Killian's eyes go wide for a moment.

"Your statement about staying home Friday night and going to bed early was just disproved by your roommate."

Killian flushes a shade of red

"He told me that you went out at about nine and the next morning, your room smelled of alcohol…" David was trying to remain composed, but if Killian had become drunk and hooked up with another woman, betraying Emma, or worse, he had abducted her. David wanted to believe that Killian would never try to hurt Emma in any way, but he was keeping secrets.

"Oh, bloody hell," Killian says, he puts his face in his hands.

"This is not a good thing Mr. Jones," David says.

"Aye," Killian says quietly.

"Not a good thing at all, you realize that lying casts a lot of suspicion on you and that many officers will begin to assume that you may have had something to do with Miss Swan's disappearance."

Killian wants to cry, his eyes well up. "David you know I wouldn't…"

"Do I?" David says sharply again. He felt angry, he thought that Killian was a decent man, certainly worthy of Emma, but clearly, he had something to hide, and it might just be Emma's location. "Would you like to tell me the truth?"

Killian sighs and turns red in embarrassment. "I've had my problems with alcohol and drugs. I'm not a clean man. I've had a hard life and the only way I've coped is using any substance that will take the pain away. I've lost my mother, brother and previous girlfriend and the hurt was agonizing… Rum is my usual escape and way to cope… I was actually getting drunk in a bar when I met Emma." Killian is fighting back tears, mortified that his secrets are coming out and yet, he knows he'll have, to be honest in order to clear his name. "When I met her, I knew she wouldn't accept a drunken docks man, especially with her Lad, so I tried to quit. When I was with her, I was strong and I was able to think that I could turn my life around again and turn away from the drink completely…"

"But," David prompts.

Killian swallows. "But it's not always that simple. A craving is not easy to ignore and it, alas, is my poison. I thought I could resist the temptation on Friday night, but I… couldn't," Killian looks down at his feet, ashamed.

"Where did you go?"

"To a bar down by the docks, The _Davy Jones_. I got myself jarred…"

"Jarred?"

"Drunk."

"How long were you at the bar?"

"Till after one, I'm pretty sure. I took a taxi back home and passed out in bed."

"And then Robin found you passed out the next day?"

"Aye, I was in rag order."

"Rag order?"

"Hungover, but I still went to work. I'm used to nursing these demons and I can go about my day."

"Is that the truth?" David asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It is I swear!" Killian says. "I never went downtown to where Emma was. I didn't even know where she was at all. I was down by the harbour all night."

David frowns heavily. "You realize that the fact that you lied earlier lowers your credibility?"

"I DIDN'T KIDNAP HER!" Killian insists loudly, jumping out of his chair. He was close to tears again. He knew that David would have a hard time believing him after he lied. "David, what I said last Thursday to you was the truth. I would never ever hurt Emma, ever. I would rather die than lay a hand on her. I would trade places with her if I could!"

Tears began rolling down his face. "I'm falling in love with her David! I'd never do anything to harm her. Please, you have to believe me!"

Killian then turns red and cries a little harder, realizing that he just professed his love to someone who was not Emma. He wanted her to hear those words, not her friend, but David had to know that he loved Emma and he'd never do anything to her.

David wants so very badly to believe Killian and the desperation, fear, and sadness in his voice is convincing, but as an officer, he still had to be skeptical. The fact that the man had proclaimed his love for his girlfriend in front of a police officer seemed like a good honest statement, but again, many spouses or boyfriends who murdered would claim the same thing. He did think that Killian would rather die than hurt Emma, but he was dishonest and it calls everything into question. David is quiet for awhile as he thinks the story over. He knew he was innocent until proven guilty, so they needed evidence to clear his name.

"Does the bar have cameras, Killian?"

"Aye, it does. Why?"

" ** _If_** your story is true, we need proof of this. We need to see that you were in the bar until one and we need witnesses to confirm this. We also need a timeline to know that you never went near the downtown area."

Killian tries to compose himself a little bit.

"Do you think you can give us the address?"

David leaves and comes back with a piece of paper, which he hands to Killian

"We're also going to have to search your phone and your apartment. We can often track your location through what cell towers it pinged from to confirm that you went home and we need to ensure that there is no blood or evidence in your apartment. Do you have your phone?"

Killian reaches into his jacket, unlocks his phone and hands it to David.

"Do you leave your phone on all night?" the officer asks.

"Aye I do, in case I'm called into work early."

David examines the iPhone before looking back at Killian.

"We'll do our best Killian, but until such time that we can confirm your story, you'll have to stay here at the station."

Killian opens his mouth to complain, but he stops himself, realizing that protesting would only make him more suspicious.

"Yes sir," Killian nods.

…

"Are you sure you can provide bottled water?" Mary Margret asks over the phone. "There will be a lot of volunteers and we need to keep them hydrated."

The teacher listens to everything that the person on the other end of the line says. She stands in Emma's apartment, going over a list of things that need to be done for the search party. They planned to have it as soon as possible, weather permitting and availability of the people. Emma's best friend was calling everyone she knew, asking for their help to find Emma.

Emma's apartment had become a sort of base camp as all her loved ones are trying to get the word out. It is abuzz with activity. Elsa and Ruby stand at the computer, printing out missing posters, using a recent picture of her from the party as the image along with a description of her. Aurora is talking to her husband, trying to convince him to get his friends from work to help, as she made sure Phillip Jr. didn't get in the way. MeyLing and Zelena are setting up a blog and Facebook page to gather even more people. Regina is preparing snacks for the search parties, like trail mix and granola bars. Leroy is talking with some of the detectives at the station about bringing in cadaver dogs to the search. Lacey is in touch with the local newspapers. Henry mostly watches but is bringing things to Mary Margret when she needs them.

There is suddenly a knock at the door. Henry goes to answer it.

It's Anna.

"What's wrong Anna?" Elsa asks.

"I managed to get the local news teams to meet us at the station."

"How did you do that?" Lacey asks.

"I have connections," Anna says. "They're meeting us at the police station in about an hour and they want us to decide who they are going to interview."

"I'll do one of them," Ruby volunteers.

"And David is doing one too as he is the head of the investigation," Leroy adds.

"We'll also have Henry say something," Anna adds. "Hopefully the sympathy will help the police and with our search party."

Henry nods.

"We need one more," Anna says.

"What about Mary Margret?" Aurora suggests.

"Why me?" the teacher asks.

"You're Emma's best friend," Aurora explains. "You love her so much, you have to say something."

Mary Margret swallows and looks at Henry.

"Alright, I'll do it."

…

An hour later, in front of the police station, several cameras have been set up in preparation for this segment. Reporters prepare their questions and have touch ups on make-up. David stands in his full uniform, ready to give his statement. The camera crew wants to have every one of Emma's friends to be in the background, even if they weren't giving a statement. This would show that Emma is important and is loved by many people. Killian asked to be outside with the others as well, especially since if Emma was watching, wherever she was, she would know that they were looking for her.

Mary Margret and Henry stand close together, having a little bit of make-up put on them. Mary Margret adjusts her heavy belly and reaches out to grab Henry's hand. To her surprise, he doesn't move it away. He looks extremely sad and nervous beyond belief. He knows that this could help find his mom faster, he just wants to let his mom know that he loves her.

"Okay we're going to do Lieutenant David first, then Miss Lucas, then Mrs. Nolan and finally her son," ahead reporter says. "When the light goes on, it means it's recording, don't look into the camera the whole time and hope for the best."

The camera people get into position; the microphones are held in front of David first. He swallows, doing his best to compose himself for the cameras.

When the light goes on, the reporter begins asking questions. David answers them with the confidence of an officer, but also the concern of a friend. He explains what they are doing to perform the investigation and gives information about the facts of their case. He ends with the statement;

"We are doing everything we can to bring her home safe and sound. Most of the Boston Police Department is tracking down any possible leads and would like to let Emma know that we are looking for her."

"And cut," the head reporter says. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Miss Lucas, you're next."

Ruby fixes her hair as best she can and makes sure her make-up isn't smudged. She puts on a serious face and looks into the camera as if she is about to fight it. She gives a passionate speech about how Emma is her best friend and she would never leave her family and friends without telling someone. She does her best not to tear up, but she might've just a little. She ends with a plea for help from the public, as instructed to do so by the reporters.

"Please, can someone just come forward. Emma has a family of her own and she doesn't deserve whatever's happened. So please, if you know something, call the police."

"And cut,"

Ruby steps aside and allows Mary Margret to take her place. The pregnant teacher does her best to stay calm, but she is nervous and very upset about the whole situation. She begins to tear up as the camera light goes on and the reporters ask her questions. No one calls her out on it and they think it will help with sympathy if she acts sad. The thing is, she really is sad. She wants Emma to be found safe and sound, she was still haunted by the nightmares of finding her friend's dead body.

"I don't know what kind of monster would abduct an innocent mother. Emma's had a hard enough life as it is and she doesn't deserve this. She has a son and life of her own, she's not just some runaway. She has people who love her and want her to be safe. Emma if you're out there, please know that we love you and we will find you."

Mary Margret steps away the moment the reporter turns to Henry for a statement. Henry swallows hard and puts on a brave face for the cameras. He's only asked a few things and he's allowed to say something of his own at the end.

"Please don't hurt my mom. We'll do anything to get her back. Mom, I love you. Please don't give up."

He then genuinely leans into Mary Margret in sadness. The moment the cameras are off, David goes over and comforts his wife, allowing Henry to be in the group hug too. He holds them tightly as if to silently reassure them. The rest of Emma's friends watch from afar, leaning into each other a bit for support. By the end, as the sun disappears behind the buildings of Boston, all of Emma's friends and loved ones hope and pray that Emma will see this on TV and be brought back home safely.

 _Thank you guys for the reviews. Please keep the coming and for those who asked questions about Emma. No Spoilers ;)_


	21. Chapter 21

"Henry you just need to get your mind off everything," Mary Margret says as she packs him a paper bag lunch. Henry hadn't had a paper bag lunch since he was little, but it was a small comfort even though he is dragging his feet at the suggestion of going to school.

"Won't you need help here?" Henry asks.

"I'll be fine, everyone is chipping in and we'll be ready for the search party on Saturday,"

She did speak the truth. Elsa, Anna, Ruby, Lacey, and Leroy had gotten up early to plaster posters all over town and Mary Margret had been talking to the local church about provide extra nourishment for the searchers. Things were going quite smoothly and there was no reason for Henry to stay home. The teacher knew it was never good for Henry to miss more school than he had to, and if she was honest, he just needs to distract himself, even for a little while. Mary Margret leans forward from the kitchen table, her bulging belly getting in the way and kisses Henry on the head. This causes Henry's heart to sink as his mother used to the same thing. He knew Mary Margret wasn't trying to replace his mom, but she was filling as a surrogate for the time being. Henry was sad but also grateful that she and David were here for him.

"Okay," Henry says, as he packs his laptop and phone for school. He honestly didn't want to go to school to learn useless things while his mother was still missing. He wanted to be there in case there were any leads in the case. However, so far the only news was that there had been holes in Killian's story and he was being held until they had solid proof that he was at a bar all night. David was trying to sort out the situation with Killian while Mary Margret and the others prepared for their search for Emma.

Mary Margret saw Henry's hesitation at the door to catch the bus. She gets up and wobbles over to him.

"I promise, I'll pull you out of class the moment we hear something," she whispers, giving him another hug.

Henry looks up at Mary Margret for a long moment before he gives her a forced smile. She matches his facial expression with a similar look of forced optimism. Henry then spies some missing posters of his mom. He looks for Mary Margret's approval and she nods, allowing him to put them up at school, or around the school to help with the search.

Henry then turns and leaves, taking the stairs down to the first floor and heading for his bus stop.

He stands waiting patiently with a few other kids, mostly freshman students. Several girls stare at him to the point that he's uncomfortable, Henry tries to be amused with his phone, but he can still hear them whispering to each other.

"Wasn't he on TV last night?"

"Yeah I saw him, some creep kidnapped his mom."

"Do you think that's true?"

"Maybe she…"

Henry puts in his headphones to drown out any more of the conversation. He didn't want to hear anything else about the possibility that his mom might've taken off, abandoning him completely. They hadn't seen the video; they hadn't gone through what he had. He leans against the bus stop sign.

When the school bus pulls up, the bus driver looks at Henry for a long moment before he heads towards the back of the bus. The entire way down the aisle, all his classmates are looking at him. Some point, some whisper to their friends and others even try to take pictures. Henry puts the hood of his jacket up and sits in the farthest corner of the bus, avoiding the glances.

As the bus begins to move, Henry stares out the window, wanting so badly to be at home, at least at home he wasn't like some freak show suddenly put on display.

As they pass the downtown area of Boston on the way to the school, Henry's mind wanders. He thinks about what happened after his dad had left. He remembers waking up in the night, crying, and he heard his mom come down the hall. Somehow she could sense that he was upset, it was her mom "superpower."

"What's wrong Henry?" Emma said, having appeared in the doorway.

"Nothing," he said, trying to hide the emotion in his voice.

"Henry what's wrong?" she insisted.

"Nothing! Go away."

"Don't lie to me kid, I know that you're lying." That was her other superpower. Emma walked across the floor of his room in the darkness and Henry felt her sit on the end of his bed. He was facing away from her, too embarrassed that he was crying.

"Come on bug…" she whispered.

Emma had not used that nickname since he was about six. She had always called him "bug" because he used to like to snuggle, his dad had called him a "snuggle bug" and the name sort of stuck.

Emma had reached over and ran put her hand on his shoulder.

"I miss him too," she said gently.

Henry began sobbing very hard and he curled up into a ball. His entire body shook with sadness.

"Why?" he wept. "Why did he leave? Why would he do that?"

Emma lay down next to her son and put her arms around him. She held him tight.

"I don't know…" Emma had said.

"He didn't say goodbye," Henry whined heavily.

Emma squeezed her son tightly and began to stroke the side of his head in a comforting motion. She used to do this all the time when he was little and had had nightmares. Henry still found it comforting, he just didn't want to admit it. He continued to cry until he eventually turned over and embraced his mom fully. She welcomed him with open arms and merely rocked him back and forth, allowing him to cry it out. She whispered that everything was okay and then the two laid down in silence.

The kid had never felt so hurt in a long time. His dad had abandoned him, gone without a trace, leaving very little behind. It was as if his dad had been completely removed from his life and was now a ghost that haunted their apartment. Henry felt betrayal and anger, he had been thinking that if his dad left him, would that stop his mom from leaving too.

"Please don't leave me," Henry whimpered.

"Oh Henry," Emma had said, holding him even tighter. "I promise that I will never ever leave you. Anywhere I go, you'll go with me. I'll never leave you behind"

"You promise?" Henry had asked. It seemed rather immature to ask such a thing, but he needed the reassurance.

"I promise. I love you, Henry." She whispered, kissing the top of his head.

"I love you too, Mom."

The two spent the rest of the night holding each other.

A bump brings him back to reality as henry realizes that he's been crying a bit. Fortunately, his hood was up and the other kids were too busy with their own problems to pay attention to him. He wipes the tears away and cranks up his music. He stares down at the missing person's posters sticking out of his binder.

"I promise, I love you Henry..." her voice echoes in his ears.

…

Henry feels just awful during school. Everyone is staring and whispering about him, even in his classes, his teachers are looking at him funny. Henry felt a burning spotlight fixated on him and he couldn't do anything in peace. He basically sleepwalks through his morning classes, not learning anything. He sees Violet at some point and she does try to talk to him but the bell rings and class begins before she can say anything. Henry mostly stares into space and out the window, wondering where his mom was. He kept his head down, not noticing that Violet was watching him, concern in her eyes.

By lunch, Henry wants to leave the country. Everyone is still staring at him as if he's a freak or something.

 _You'd think they'd have other things to worry about_ , he thinks to himself.

He picks a small corner of the cafeteria where he's least likely to get the most stares.

He opens his bagged lunch and finds a roast beef sandwich with mustard on it, his favourite. He manages a small smile as he begins to eat.

Then Violet comes up to him.

"There you are Henry," she says, sitting down next to him. Several of her friends also sit down, most of them from the synchronized swimming team. He doesn't look up.

"Henry we're so sorry to hear about your mom," Violet says. She reaches over and grabs his hand.

Henry looks into Violet's brown eyes, very shocked of her sympathetic look. Even her friends were concerned about him.

"I wanted to talk to you earlier, but there wasn't a good time," Violet says. "We wanted you to know that we're here for you."

Henry is very surprised. "Y-You are?"

"Yes, we'll even help with the search party," one of the girls adds.

Henry keeps his eyes on Violet. They hadn't talked since the party and they definitely hadn't talked about the kiss. Henry prayed that she hadn't told her friends about it. His ears turn red and he fights back some tears.

"This must be so hard for you," Violet says quietly. "You must be so worried about her."

"I-I am," Henry says. "I'm noticing a lot of the adults are avoiding the subject, but they're hoping it doesn't turn into a murder…"

"It won't, don't worry," Violet says. She pulls him into a hug. Henry is surprised at first but his heart begins to race and he accepts it more fully. He feels the warmth of her body and the sound of her breathing. He can even smell her perfume, which is lilac he guesses. He actually forgets about his mom for a fleeting second, enjoying the embrace with Violet, before she lets go. He felt a little better, having some support from his peers and especially Violet. She then looks down and sees the missing posters sticking out of his backpack.

She grabs them.

"How come you only have three?" she asks.

"It's all they had left,"

"We're going to need a lot more if we're going to get the word out," Violet says.

"Y-You mean you're going to come to the search party?" Henry asks in disbelief.

"Yeah, a lot of the others want to help out too, they just didn't know how to ask you without upsetting you," one of Violet's friends says.

"I'll ask Mr. Javier to make some extra copies so we can hang them up," Violet says.

Henry feels a surge of hope and little lighter now that Violet and her friends want to help him. He follows the girls out of the cafeteria and they get to work.

"We should put a few up by the pool too," Violet suggests as they hang one on the front window of the school.

Henry just nods. He looks at Violet earnestly and then impulsively leans forward to kiss her on the cheek. Both of them blush.

"Thank you," Henry says.

"For what?"

"For being my friend,"

"I'm more than a friend right now," Violet says, she hugs him again. "I want to help you any way that I can. I promise."

Those words seem to make Henry shiver slightly as the two begins walking towards the halls, having to get ready for next period. As they go, Violet weaves her fingers in between his and they walk towards their lockers.

Henry knew he had to thank Mary Margret when he got home.

 _Here's Henry's POV. I'm not really sure how actual students would react when one of their classmate's family member's go missing, but I'm hoping this is what would happen. Please review and follow._


	22. Chapter 22

"Is everything ready?" Mary Margret asks Mother Superior at the tent and tables they've set up as a home base for all the searchers. Several of the sisters were manning the tables that had bottled water, granola bars, trail mix and fruit on them, as well as backpacks and maps of the city. There were also tables with hundreds and hundreds of fliers with Emma's picture on them for the people to hand out as they went.

The entire group had set up in a local park that was close to the bars where Emma was last seen. Ruby and the other close friends of Emma were going to be group leaders, organizing any volunteers who came into groups and leading them on a search of the cities, going through neighbourhoods, forested areas, downtown, other parks, down by the harbour and so on. There were even some news cameras set up to capture the event for TV.

"Yes, I think so," Mother Superior says, standing up from the registration table. She looks over at the heavily pregnant teacher. Mary Margret leans on the table carefully, trying to keep her baby bump supported. "You've done an amazing job, Mary,"

"Thank you,"

"I'm sure when we find Emma, she'll know that you love her so much,"

Mary Margret swallows hard and wipes away a few tears. Mother Superior puts her arm around her.

"She will be found; I have faith in the Lord that he will guide us to her,"

Mary Margret smiles and hugs her friend tightly.

"I hope so,"

David is instructing all of Emma's friends on how to keep a group together and make sure they search thoroughly.

"Remember to keep track of everyone in your group, we don't want any more missing people,"

"We will David, we promise," Ruby says.

David goes over to Leroy, who has a few cadaver dogs with their trainers ready to go with the groups, to talk to him about the organization of the search parties. Each animal was trained to sniff out certain scents and the trainers were given an article of Emma's clothing to get their dogs on the trail.

Killian stands by, happy that he was released after security cam footage cleared him of any suspicion and proved his alibi. He was very worried about what might happen during this search. He was praying that they didn't end up finding Emma's body or anything like that, but he was so grateful that Mary Margret put everything together. It was a testament knowing about how many people cared for Emma and would do anything for her. He had only known Emma for a few months, but he knew that she was loved and well-cared for, even though it wasn't in the most traditional sense.

Henry walks up to one of the tables, with Violet trailing him.

"Who's this Henry?" Mary Margret asks.

"This is Violet, one of my friends from school," Henry explains. "She managed to get a bunch of the swim teams to come and help."

"Oh that's wonderful, thank you so much, Violet, it's lovely to meet you," the teacher says, holding out her hand. Violet happily accepts it.

"Thank you very much, I want to help Henry as much as I can,"

"Well just sign here and we'll have you put into a group,"

Violet does so as Henry stands by. Killian moves closer to the Lad, knowing exactly what was going on.

"She's quite the beauty, isn't she?" Killian whispers.

Henry turns bright red and steps away from Killian.

"She your girlfriend then?" Killian says, raising his eyebrow.

"No!" Henry says quickly. "It's none of your business anyways."

"I think she really cares for you mate," Killian says.

Both of them watch as Violet gets a few snacks for herself and then texts her friends.

"She's really nice," Henry admits. "She always makes my heart race and the way she smiles, it's just so great!"

"It's how I feel about your mom," Killian says softly.

Henry looks up at the docks man for a few moments in confusion, but also slight understanding. Now that he knew what it was like to have a crush on someone, he could relate to Killian. Killian gives him a gentle smile and pats him on the back.

"Make sure you're in her group Mate," he says before walking away.

Soon enough, more people begin showing up. Several teachers from Mary Margret's own school, even some of her older students, MeyLing's hockey teammates, a few people from Zelena's law firm, a bunch of Henry's classmates, people from Phillip's work and Killian's roommates.

"Glad you could make it mate," Killian says, patting Will on the back.

"Just want to do my part," Will says.

Killian's smile fades slightly when he sees Robin, Robin can tell that there might be some tension after he had poked holes in Killian's alibi.

"Kil, about the…"

"Don't worry about it," Killian says. "I've been proven innocent. I know you can't tell a lie and it's better that I came clean now instead of later."

"Right," Robin says. His gaze goes over the growing crowd of people. He catches Regina's face in the crowd. Her raven hair is pulled back into a ponytail and she looks ready for a hike. She's handing out snacks to the searchers.

He swallows and then goes over to greet her. Regina's face lights up when she sees him

"Ah, the archery personal trainer," she says with a smirk.

"Hello again."

Regina's heart is racing and she can feel her cheeks flushing very hard, she pretends to hand out more snacks and not look into his gorgeous eyes.

"We really didn't get a chance to talk the other day," Robin says. "I never got to ask what you did for a living."

Robin felt his heart race as well, he found her very sculpted face and ruby red lips appealing. There was an air of mystery to her and some sophistication. He hadn't had a chance to see it before as he was distracted fairly quickly, but he thought that she was very pretty.

"I'm a real estate agent," Regina says, taking a break from her job and turning to face him fully.

Immediately she gets lost in his eyes, his light blue eyes. They look like uncharted waters of the sea, she can feel her entire body go weak and her head spins like he was making her putty in his hands. She instinctively pulls a few loose strands of hair into her ponytail and straightens herself up. She hasn't felt like this in a while, it was an exciting feeling, one of passion and of eagerness. This man was so wonderfully handsome; unlike any man she'd seen before.

"That must be quite interesting," Robin says.

"Usually it's quite boring but…"

"Regina!" a voice calls out from the crowd.

Regina turns to see Graham rushing up towards her. The Irish man with thick brown hair and a matching well-trimmed beard and dark blue eyes that drink Regina up with great enthusiasm.

"G-Graham… hi!" Regina says in utter surprise.

The large DJ reaches over and gives her a big hug. Robin is taken aback by the friendliness.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asks.

"You invited me to this remember? To help find your friend?"

"Oh that's right, I'm sorry, I've been so busy that I forget things so easily."

"No trouble, I understand," Graham says, he finally looks at Robin. "Who's this?"

"This is Emma's boyfriend's roommate, Robin Locksley; he's come to help with the search."

"Well that's great, the more the merrier," Graham says brightly. He reaches over to shake Robin's hand. Robin accepts it with a firm grip.

"We're hopin' to bring Emma home safe," Graham says. "I think it'd be good if we were in the same group so you can tell me more about Emma."

"That's…fine," Regina says, she looks over at Robin, his expression unreadable. "But first you have to register."

"Which table is that?" Graham asks.

"This one, I'll show you," Regina begins to guide him through the growing crowd of people. She takes one last look at Robin before she disappears into the crowd.

However, close by, Zelena was watching the exchange and as soon as Regina is gone, she makes her move.

"Hi I'm Zelena Jordan, another friend of Emma's" she holds out her hand.

Robin snaps back to reality and shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you," he says.

"You must be Killian's roommate?"

"Yes… yes, I am," Robin says, looking into her blue eyes.

"I'm sure Killian is happy about having the support," Zelena says. She steps a little bit closer to him.

"It's the least I can do, he and I have been friends for a long time."

"As have I with Emma," Zelena says smoothly. "I've actually known her longer than Regina has."

"Really?" Robin says. "That's good to know." He turns back to see if he can get a glimpse of Regina again.

Zelena puts her hand on his shoulder to get his attention again. Robin is taken aback by her sudden closeness. "Do you have a group yet?"

"Uh…no, I don't."

"Well, you can be in my group," the red head chirps, cracking a half-smile. "I'm sure we can get to know each other a bit more this way. Come over here."

Zelena puts her arm around Robin and guides him into the crowd of people, her smile growing ever so big. Robin is confused by this strange woman's friendliness, but he lets it pass by him.

Meanwhile, in another part of the crowd, Ruby is counting the number of people who are joining her group. She suddenly notices a head of bouncy black/brown curls.

"Dorothy?" Ruby says loudly, going over and grabbing the woman's arm. The girl turns and her smile widens. Ruby reaches over and hugs her.

"Ruby, how have you been?" she chirps.

"I wish I was better honestly," Ruby says, looking deep into the woman's brown eyes. The two girls smile and Ruby moves some of her dyed hair from her face.

"I know I'm so sorry to hear about your friend, but ever since you texted me, I thought I'd better come."

Ruby and Dorothy had been texting a few times back and forth since their foursome last Friday night. They laughed and giggled about what they could remember about that night, but they hadn't seen each other in person since then.

"That was so nice of you," Ruby says, smiling widely. "I'm so happy all these people are here to help."

"Well, we do what we can to make a difference. And if it means I can skip my shift at the shoe store, I'm happy about that," Dorothy says.

"I didn't know you worked in a shoe store,"

"My best-kept secret," Dorothy says sarcastically. "My father owns a shoe department and I'm stuck working there."

"Really? Because my grandma has been trying to keep me at her restaurant. She says it's a family commitment thing and everyone has to help each other out."

"Oh my gawd, my dad says the same thing all the time I mean…"

"Will everyone please find a group please, the search is about to commence!" David's voice calls out of a bullhorn.

"Hey, do you have a group yet?" Ruby asks.

"No,"

"Well you do now, come on," Ruby says, grabbing the girl's hand.

Back at the registration table, a man in dark clothing waits his turn to sign up. Mother Superior greets him with a warm smile.

"Just put your name here and the time you checked in. Then you can go grab a map and some water."

"Thank you," the man says, wiping sweat underneath his graying hair.

He signs his name and then goes to get his supplies.

Mother Superior looks at the name on the sheet of paper.

 _Neal Cassidy_

 _Nice cliffhanger here. Please follow and review._


	23. Chapter 23

"Will everyone please gather into your assigned groups please," David says through the bullhorn. David stands on a picnic bench, with Mary Margret standing next to him. All the group leaders stand in front of the officer. They stare in awe at the number of people who have come to help them find Emma. Henry's heart swells happily.

"We want to thank everyone for coming and for all the help our volunteers have done. Before we begin the search please remember, stay with your groups, follow the map and if anything seems suspicious, please report it to the supervising officers or return to home base. Now my wife would like to say a few words."

Mary Margret clears her throat.

"Thank you all for helping us. Some of you probably don't know Emma, but it fills us with the hope that we will be able to find her with your help. Thank you so much." Mary Margret does her best to not burst out crying.

"Now each of you has been assigned a specific leader, all of them are wearing name tags and have a specific coloured flag. We will all keep in contact with walkie-talkies to report anything. Many of the leaders were with Emma the night she went missing so they will be able to tell you where she was and what might've happened to her. Each of them has a specific area to search and please stay in contact with them. Please remember to stay together and get the word out as much as possible. There will also be cadaver dogs who will help us get a big lead. Please stay hydrated and safe. Thank you."

There is some applause from the people.

"Group going south please follow me!" Ruby shouts, holding up her flag. Dorothy is in the front and helps lead the large group as they leave the park. Zelena and Robin's group head west. Lacey's to the North, Regina and Graham's to the downtown area to the east. Killian is going to guide the harbour group, MeyLing southeast, David northwest, Aurora and Phillip southwest and Leroy to the northeast. Henry decides to go with David, with Violet tagging right along.

All the parties scatter, starting from the _Good Luck Chuck Wagon_ where Emma was last seen and disperse.

Leroy hands one of Emma's scarves to the dog trainer and the dog takes a good sniff.

The dog puts his nose to the ground and begins his search. He takes a few steps away from the bar before tracing the residue of gasoline, most likely from a car. He sits and puts his paw on his owner's leg.

"What does that mean?" Leroy asks.

"It means that there is a car involved," the trainer explains.

"Can he still follow it?"

"Yes, but it will be more complicated."

…

"Have you seen this woman anywhere?" Ruby asks, holding a flier up to a convenience store owner.

"I'm sorry ma 'me, I haven't," the man says behind the counter.

"Has there been any suspicious activity in the area?" Ruby asks.

"Sorry no,"

Ruby takes in a sharp breath, trying to keep herself calm. Dorothy steps in.

"Do you mind if we hang a poster in your store?"

"Sure, it's the least I can do to help you," the man says.

Ruby sighs and grabs the tape from her backpack.

"Discouraged already?" Dorothy asks as they exit the store. Many of the searchers have taken other businesses on the street to ask for any information.

"It's just so frustrating," Ruby sighs. "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Boston is so big and our party is so small."

"Try to keep up hope," Dorothy says. "It could be worse."

"How could it be worse?"

"It could be you that is missing,"

"Are you an optimist?" Ruby asks.

"Usually yes," Dorothy says. "I try to remain positive when I can, it allows me to go on every day."

"Wish I had that kind of attitude," Ruby says. "It'd make life so much more interesting." They walk up to another store and go inside. They hit another dead end.

"This is going to be one long day," Ruby sighs.

…

"Can we stop for a break?" one of the searchers asks.

Zelena sighs and nods. The shoes she's wearing are killing her.

"Ten-minute break everyone, try to stay in the shade and rehydrate."

Robin sits down on the curb and opens his bottle of water. His shoulders are heavy. He knows that he doesn't know Emma at all, but Killian talked about her and he never had a bad thing to say. He can't imagine how he's feeling, with the air of dread that Emma could possibly be…dead.

 _She really must be loved to have such caring friends_ , he thinks.

Zelena sits down next to Robin. She takes out her compact mirror and examines herself. She reapplies some lip gloss.

"I should have worn more comfortable shoes," Zelena groans.

"You didn't think about how much walking there would be?" Robin asks.

"That and as a lawyer, I don't own very many comfortable shoes. Even during cross-examination, I'm always in heels. I like to think that it keeps my aggression high."

Robin sighs and looks at the other searchers sitting and resting.

"So what do you do?" Zelena asks.

"I'm a personal trainer," Robin says, drinking from the water bottle.

"Oh, I can tell you definitely work out," Zelena says, wanting to reach over and grab his bicep. "Is it hard work?"

"It is," Robin says. "But it's worth it… so what's your relation to Emma? How did you meet?"

"She and I are like sisters," Zelena lies. "We actually met Regina at a singles event quite a few years back. She was sad and very lonely. She'd been divorced twice and was desperate to find someone. Emma was upset that she had to leave Henry at home, the eight-year-old was so clingy at the time."

Robin frowns when she says this, but Zelena takes no notice. "We basically took Regina under our wing and helped her get some hook ups. Once she got going, she couldn't stop. She also took a lot of lessons from Ruby, the leader of the red group. Ruby is a serious slut so to speak."

Robin doesn't know how to react, he just takes another drink and continues to stare ahead, avoiding eye contact with the redhead.

"Regina picked up some of her bad habits, like that DJ guy, she actually hooked up with him the night Emma went missing," Zelena continues.

Robin shakes his head. "Really? She doesn't seem like that type."

"Trust me, she's not at all perfect. Meanwhile, I like quality over quantity. I like to treasure my relationships."

Suddenly, Robin's phone buzzes.

"Excuse me," he says. He checks the caller ID. He then shuts it off, but not before Zelena gets a glance at the name.

"Who's Marian?"

Robin glares at her, not liking her nosiness.

"Come on, I promise I won't tell anyone," Zelena pleads, looking seductively into his eyes.

"She's my ex-wife. We in the middle of a divorce and we're trying to split custody of our son Roland. She's always calling me up, trying to get me to speak to the lawyers. It's not exactly easy for me to take my son, I mean I live in an apartment with three other men, one who's like your Ruby friend."

"That's a shame, I believe that every child deserves at least some time with their parents," Zelena says.

"We should get back to searching," Robin says, trying to avoid the subject.

"You're right," Zelena stands up and calls out. "Alright everyone break's over, you may now begin to search again!"

Robin stands up and grabs the backpack for Zelena. He begins walking along, thinking about the information Zelena told him about Regina.

…

"Have you seen this woman?" Regina asks.

It's later in the day and the group must've given out fifteen thousand fliers, putting them up in any shop that would take them. Regina sighs heavily, upset and tired. This search was going nowhere if felt. The only reason she pressed on was because of Henry and wanting to bring his mother back to him. Emma had been her friend for a long time, even though there were days when Regina resented Emma. The woman had had the life and security that she'd never had, she had a loving son and a secure lifestyle, that is until Neal took off. Leaving the poor boy without a father and a struggling mother. She began feeling guilty about those times she hated Emma, because now, who knows what was happening to the blonde.

Regina sits down on a bench to rest her feet.

"You're pushin' yourself too much," Graham says, sitting next to her. Impulsively, Regina lays her head on his shoulder.

"She's my friend, and I want to help her," Regina says quietly. The sun was going to be setting soon, going behind some tall apartment buildings.

"It's not like we're goin' to cover the entire city," Graham says.

"I wish we could if it means finding her," Regina says. "Henry should not be without his mother for so long. I mean I'm like a surrogate mother to him, but it can't replace the bond those two have."

"There's somethin' special about a mother and child isn't there?"

Regina's stomach turns and she begins to fight back tears. She looks at the images on the posters in front of her, those green eyes staring back at her as if making her feel guilty

"I feel like we'll never find her. I wish she had a tracking beacon or something,"

Regina sits up again and looks into Graham's eyes.

"Do you need a hug?" Graham asks. "I can always tell when someone needs one, it's like my special power." He winks at her.

Regina is especially surprised at his offer but accepts it willingly. He smells of some type of aftershave and his brown leather jacket. His whiskers tickle her neck a little bit as she lets out a deep sigh.

"Thank you for being here," Regina says, pulling out of the hug.

"My pleasure," Graham says. "It gives me a chance to get to know you better."

Regina blushes slightly. She never expected that a hook up she had more than a week ago was actually turning into something. It was good… nothing great…but good. He was a lot better than some of the other men she'd tried to date. He was sweet and sentimental, but with an edge, being a DJ and all.

"Let's keep looking," Graham says. He takes Regina's hand and helps her to her feet. The two keep going, holding hands the rest of the way.

…

Killian sighs deeply. Nothing has turned up. It's just been a long day of walking around the city harbour with a bunch of strangers, asking if any of them have seen his girlfriend. He even walked by the bar he had been drinking at the night she disappeared. The pain in his chest was still fresh, he doubted it would dull at all.

"Oy, David you there Mate?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Have you found anything?"

"Nothing, no one's seen her at all, it's as if she just vanished."

"Didn't you say that Leroy's group's dog might think there's a car involved."

Killian's heart sinks. For all they know, Emma could almost be in Canada with her abductor by now. He felt like precious time was being wasted. The hope of finding Emma was shrinking ever more. He sighs deeply.

"I think we should call it night Mate," Killian says.

"I guess so, I'll talk to the others."

Then there's nothing on the walkie talkie.

"Listen up everyone!" Killian calls out to the group of searchers, among them, a graying haired man with some stubble and an equally concerned look on his face. "We're going to head back to the base. I'm sure you will be thanked quite a lot by Mary Margret, and I, myself, am very grateful for your help."

The group begins to turn around and head back in the direction they came. Killian follows, his head low as if in defeat, his shoulders sagging by the heavy reality he carried.

One man Killian passes, one of the searchers, puts one last poster on a telephone pole. He then walks with some distance behind the docks man, both unaware of their connection to Emma.

…

Mary Margret begins setting out warm beverages of hot chocolate and coffee for the exhausted searchers as well as treats. She's been sitting in a chair most of the day, taking notes about what streets had been searched and marking them on a map, every time a team leader called in. Her heart was very heavy and so was her belly. The sisters of the convent did all they could to make sure Mary Margret didn't have to do too much and be on her feet. The teacher is disappointed that she wasn't out there searching with the others, but with everyone's concern for the baby, she knew she had to stay out of it.

She sees flashlights and a familiarly tall figure walking up the street from the park. She stands up and goes to greet him.

She kisses his cheek. The two don't say anything, they're both thinking the same thing. No luck, none at all. There is deep sadness in their hearts and fear about what might be happening to Emma. On the bright side, if they didn't find a body, then there's hope that she's still alive.

The teacher then reaches over and hugs Henry, who had been by David's side most of the day. In the darkening park, Mary Margret could see the bleakness on her best friend's son's face. He gladly accepts the hug before following his female classmate Violet to the refreshment table. She notices the two are holding hands.

"Hardly let go of each other all day," David says quietly. "It's as if they were holding each other up."

"Her more than him, I'm sure," Mary Margret says. She wishes that Emma was here to see her son with his first girlfriend. She'd give anything if she could trade places with her best friend.

"We'll try again tomorrow," David says, trying to remain optimistic.

As the other parties come back, many tired, sweaty and sore, some talk to each other, and others begin to head for their cars, without giving the Nolan's a chance to thank them. Mary Margret felt some solace that so many people had come to help. It restored her faith in humanity just a little bit that they were still willing to help one another. Except for that monster who took Emma.

Henry and Violet stand together talking as Killian's search group comes back. Killian begins talking to David and Henry sees a man lurking behind him. He squints in the fading daylight.

David's walkie-talkie suddenly crackles to life.

"David are you there?" Leroy's voice asks.

"Yeah, we're here. Where are you? Your group is the only one not back."

"We're at the edge of town," is the response.

"What why? How?"

We took one of the trainer's vans. We found Emma's phone."

The entire camp seems to go quiet as Henry rushes forward to here more. He then gets a better look at the man who had been lurking behind David and Mary Margret. He drops the hot chocolate in his hand.

"D-Dad?!"

 _Double cliffhanger. I'm sorry to the readers that I post so late, it's just the way it happens. I'll try to improve in terms of timing. Please Review and follow._


	24. Chapter 24

"Hi buddy," Neal says.

Henry is completely stunned as is the rest of the group. Killian is equally shocked, finally meeting the man who walked out on his beloved Emma. Everyone else is stunned into silence, unable to move. However, Ruby is the first to react, she goes up and slaps Neal across the face. He keels over slightly from the sudden

"RUBY!" Mary Margret shrieks, pulling her away. They may all hate Neal, but not enough to physically hurt him. "Why'd you do that?"

"I'm doing what Emma would've done," Ruby hisses. "If she were here, but if it was me, I'd given you much worse."

Henry rushes forward and wraps his dad in a hug. He smells like something very spicy and of a pine forest, a smell that Henry missed a lot. Neal rubs Henry's back and squeezes him tightly. Henry feels himself tear up a bit, but he fights the tears, especially in front of Violet.

"You've gotten so big," Neal says quietly.

"What are you doing here Neal?" David asks slowly. He and Mary Margret only got to know Emma's ex a little bit as he was hardly around when they met Emma. They did like him at first, but after he walked out on Emma and Henry, they couldn't forgive him for the hurt he put them through. Ruby was equally hateful towards Emma's ex-fiance, the bastard basically destroyed Emma emotionally and left her in pieces. Regina was mad too, but not enough to slap him. She'd hated what his disappearance had done to Henry, making him a lot worse than before and breaking Emma's heart. Regina had to be the shoulder for both of them to cry on and she thought he was like all the other man in her life, unfaithful and heartless.

Neal leans back from his hug with his son to look at David. Henry slowly steps back. It feels weird to be hugging his dad again, after almost three years. He was thinner than before and much stronger. He was aging a little bit too, his hair graying even more with matching stubble on his face.

"David, Mary Margret, nice to see you again."

"Cut the crap, Cassidy?!" Ruby barks. "Answer the man."

"I came to help look for Emma," he answers.

"Or are you just trying to collect on her life insurance policy?" Ruby snarls.

"RUBY!" Mary Margret says, trying to calm her friend down. "Zelena, will you please take Ruby away from here?"

The lawyer comes up and takes Ruby's arm and tries to guide her away from the scene.

"When did you get here?" Henry asks.

"Last night, I'm staying at a motel. I would've called you, but I figured you were too busy to answer the phone and I think Emma changed the numbers after I left."

"She did that for a reason!" Ruby hollers.

"Calm down Ruby," Lacey says. "Give the man a chance to explain."

"He had his chance and he left!"

"Did you seriously come to help find Mom?" Henry asks. He looks at his dad.

"Yes I did, I saw the news story on TV and I knew that Emma would never leave Henry unless she was taken by force. I decided to come and help."

"To make yourself look like a hero?" Killian mutters skeptically.

"No," is the answer.

"To take custody of Henry?" Mary Margret asks.

"No…" Neal sighs.

"To ruin your son's life?!" Ruby says.

"No! I came to help and I had to see Henry at least once."

"I wish he didn't want to see you," Killian mutters. The others were thinking the same thing.

Henry's head was a mess of emotions. Anger, happiness, betrayal, nervousness, worry and guilt all whirled around in his head making him dizzy and his knees weak. He was so overwhelmed that his dad had decided to come back and with his Mom missing, he just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. He needed to sort out all his feelings and he simply stood there, dumbfounded.

Violet comes up behind Henry and puts her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she whispers.

"I wish I was better," Henry admits. "I'm so confused."

Violet puts her arm around Henry and gives him a side hug. This gives the fifteen-year-old some comfort, but it still didn't change his feelings about his dad being here.

"Hey David, are you still there?" an angry voice calls over the walkie talkie.

"Y-Yes, Leroy. Have the detectives bag the evidence and we'll see if we can pull any fingerprints off it and maybe get a location."

The party stands in front of the tent in silence, as the leaves rustle in the autumn air. It's so incredibly awkward and very emotional.

…

Emma tries to move into another comfortable position. The chains limit this quite a lot, but she does her best. The tape over her mouth is equally awkward and very irritating. She hates having to hear her breath go over the tape every time she exhales. At least some of her tears has loosened the tape.

Emma doesn't know how long it's been; time had no meaning. She could guess what time of day it was based on the sounds coming from above. She'd memorized the same sounds made by the family as they most likely got up, got ready for work and school, come home, eat meals and overall, be a normal family. It made her sick to her stomach that she was being kept as a prisoner by this psychotic man, while his family had a normal life. Every time she thinks she heard a child's voice, she thinks of Henry. This sends her into introspection and often more tears. She prays that Regina is looking after him and that Killian was there too. She hoped David was looking for her and she even wondered if Mary Margret had had her baby yet. She thought if the baby would be a boy or a girl and whether, if it was a girl, they'd name it after her…

The only contact Emma had with humans or had a full sense of time is when the man comes down to the basement to give her food. He does it twice a day in what she can assume is in the morning and at night. She feels like some kind of pet, having to be brought food on a tray. The man doesn't speak to her very much except when to ask her how's she's feeling. She knows he's just trying to find out if she's pregnant or not. Emma refuses to respond and the man eventually gets up to leave, telling her it was only a matter of time. It wasn't like pregnancy was instantaneous anyways, it usually took weeks to tell if one was pregnant and Emma was in such a distraught state that she couldn't tell anything anymore. Her body was numb, all feeling completely lost. The man had taken all her dignity and she knew that if she didn't escape, soon it would be her sanity. She knew that if she stayed with the man too long, she might develop Stockholm Syndrome and never want to leave.

Emma was trying to escape in any way possible. She knew she could try to make noise, but anytime she did, the man would taser her into submission or threaten to drug her.

"You're doing so well at staying quiet," the man had said. "I know too many doses of the juice is not good for you, so keep it up."

She couldn't try to attack the man again because he was just as strong as she was and with the lack of food, she felt her strength going every day. She thought about locking herself in the bathroom and try to rust the chains off or would tell the man that she'd only come out when he let her go, but both were quite risky and kind of stupid. Emma had so much time on her hands that she thought of any possible way to escape. She had no bobby pins to pick the locks and there's no way she could tip the bed over, creating some kind of noise or get the chains off the bed post. Picking the lock seemed like the best options, but she couldn't go to the man's tool bench to get something. She was basically a piece of meat chained to a platter.

Emma lays back as best she can and the bed squeaks slightly. She does her best not to cry until she moves again and the bed creaks.

 _Wait a minute,_ she thought _. A bed spring might be perfect!_

Her heart pounded in excitement at the thought of getting out of these cuffs. She uses what leeway she has with the chains and starts to reach under the mattress. She goes under the mattress cover and sure enough, holding up the bed are dark tiny poles of metal. Her stomach drops from the eagerness. The only problem is, they are firmly embedded in the metal bed.

Emma begins to feel around, finding the closest piece of metal, not trying to strain herself too much with the cuffs and chains. She picks one and begins to twist and press it. She applies pressure from all angles in an attempt to loosen it.

 _Just one piece of metal,_ Emma begs. _Please God let me have this_.

She continues to twist until she hears the jingling of keys, immediately she stops what she's doing and tries to act natural, at least as natural as a kidnap victim can be.

The man comes thundering down the stairs with his usual tray of food. He turns on the light, illuminating both of them. Emma does her best to stay brave, glaring at the man as he sets the tray down. He unlocks her chains enough to allow her to eat and she removes the tape.

The man watches her as she eats, a bowl of dry cereal, water, and some raspberries, which were something new. He looks at her with cold, almost dead eyes. Emma doesn't look up at him, trying to hide the growing smile on her face and the growing impatience to get back to the bed spring.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

Emma doesn't answer.

"You can't ignore the possibility forever," he growls. "I need a new child and you will give it to me."

Emma grinds her teeth between the food she has in her mouth. It takes everything she has not to say something ignorant and rebellious at him. Her throat only just stopped hurting after the attempted strangling.

Once Emma is done, the man relocks her chains, puts more tape on her mouth, turns off the light and takes everything back upstairs, locking the basement door behind him.

Emma sighs in great relief and finds the spot she was working at.

 _You'll only get a baby over my dead body!_

 _Like one of the reviewers asked, some hope for Emma and what does Neal have to say. Will there be any evidence pulled from the phone? Please review and follow._


	25. Chapter 25

Most of the group sits in the station cafeteria, drinking coffee or hot chocolate with cinnamon on top. They are waiting to get any results from Emma's recovered phone, like fingerprints, some form of DNA and the location of the last cell phone tower her phone pinged from.

"Whenever I smell cinnamon, I always think of you and your hot chocolate," Neal muses to his son. Henry gives a small smile.

He's the only one as Mary Margret, Regina, David, Killian, Elsa, Anna and Lacey are pretty much boring holes through Neal with anger and discomfort. Ruby couldn't handle breathing the same air as Neal and left for home awhile back. Zelena went to deal with some paperwork, Robin went home to deal with Marian and his son, Graham had a gig to go to, Violet was picked up by her sister, MeyLing went to go skating to relax and Aurora took the rest of her family home.

Neal can feel the tension in the room, it was like a match in a fireworks factory. He knew that everyone hated him for what he did to Emma and Henry and he didn't blame them. His decision had been rather impulsive. The one thing that no one else knew was why he took off so suddenly instead of leaving gradually. His father had told him that he was getting divorced, after less than two years of marriage from his younger wife. He had been having an affair with an even younger woman and actually had the guts to ask his son to deliver the divorce papers to his unwanted step-mother. Neal knew it would fall apart, but for some strange reason, he saw himself in his father's situation, ruining his son's and fiancée's life if he kept up his lifestyle. He had been having one night stands behind Emma's back and avoiding both of them more and more, his fear of becoming his father grew greater and greater with each passing day. His father's phone call was what set him off that night and he packed everything he wanted, left a note and took the first bus out of Boston, never looking back. It was his greatest shame and he'd live with the guilt of leaving the woman he loved and his son behind.

Neal had to start completely from scratch, getting a new job at an auto dealership, renting an apartment and basically starting over. He'd done this when he was much younger and on the run from the police for petty crimes, but he kept his path straight, never breaking the promise both he and Emma had made after Henry was born, to live a better life because of him.

The one thing he dreaded telling anyone was that there was a new woman in his life and he was in fact engaged to her now. Her name was Tamara and she was so lively and happy, everything Neal wanted in a woman. He honestly thought that he would never date again as the anxiety of becoming his father still loomed in the back of his mind, but he accidentally bumped into her one day, spilling coffee all over her scarf. To apologize, Neal bought her a new scarf and they ended up spending the day together. They started dating and they had just recently become engaged. He had not actually proposed marriage, she had and he thought that since it had been three years since he left, he should try and be happy. He was not looking forward to telling his son, or anyone else for that matter.

"Where are you living now Neal?" Regina asks, breaking the long, awkward silence.

"In Phoenix Arizona, I own my own car dealership."

"Really?" Henry says.

The teen had his own whirlwind of emotions. His dad had restarted his life without him or his mom and it made him sick. His dad was actually more successful now than he had ever been. When Neal was with them, he worked two jobs, one as a janitor and another as a cashier. He claimed that he could never get a better job because of his criminal history, but he never brought that up with his son. Henry started to wonder if his dad was married now or had kids, he, checked his father's hands and the only thing there was his high school ring.

"Yes, it's a good job," Neal says. "It pays the bills and keeps me sane."

Killian eyes Neal with special distaste. This man had hurt Emma beyond belief, almost ruined her life, leaving her broken, and he could never forgive someone for that. Emma was an amazing person, with a passionate and loving soul, she was rough around the edges, but she was sweet and nice to everyone she met (except for those she arrested). Killian couldn't imagine what Emma had been put through, this bastard let with nothing more than a note, abandoning his family and breaking Emma's heart. Then again, he'd never have met and had the chance to be with Emma if he hadn't left. However, the thought of Neal abandoning his only son is even more sickening and hardly forgivable either and now he shows up to find his ex-fiancée and probably expects everyone to accept him.

"So, Henry… what grade are you in now?"

"I'm in tenth grade," his son answers a little coldly.

"Is it fun?"

Henry shakes his head.

The conversation ends there and they go into uncomfortable silence again.

"So David, I heard you're the Lieutenant of the police force now."

"Yes, I am," David says quietly. "I'm actually in charge of this investigation."

"And Mary Margret, how far along are you?"

"Eight months, almost nine," the teacher answers quietly.

"Congratulations," Neal says, trying to be positive, except he's still getting death glares from other people around the table. They go into uncomfortable silence again.

"Is it okay if I ask what happened?" Neal asks. "The news channel in Phoenix was a little spotty on the details."

The others look at one another, but none of them want to speak about it. Bravely, Anna begins to talk.

"Well it was Lacey's 24th birthday and we were having a girls' night out. We ended up getting hammered pretty quickly and went to a bar with karaoke. We spent the rest of the night there. At some point, Emma went outside to get some fresh air or something and we haven't heard from her since."

Neal swallows hard. "Do you have any leads or witnesses?"

"We have security camera footage showing a man switching drinks with Emma and we assume it was to drug her," Regina says. "The problem is, the camera quality is bad and we can't see his face and she was abducted just out of the frame of the outdoor camera."

"The only witnesses are us and maybe a few bar patrons," Elsa finishes before taking a drink from her Styrofoam cup.

"But finding the phone will hopefully give us something to work with," David finishes.

Lacey's phone suddenly buzzes.

"I have to take this it's my father," she excuses herself from the room.

Lacey stands outside the cafeteria, actually very relieved to get out of the awkward situation. She begins explaining to her father where she had been all day while finishing off the rest of her coffee. Her father was very overprotective of her, ever since he mother had died when she was little. Her mother actually died saving her daughter, as Lacey had wandered out into the street and a car didn't see her coming. Her mother managed to push her daughter out of the way, sacrificing her life in the process. Her father had become a helicopter parent from then on, always wanting to know where his little "princess" was.

"Dad I told you already, I'll be home soon," Lacey sighs. She begins pacing up and down the hall as her father droned on. She was tempted to just hang up on him.

Suddenly, someone comes from behind one of the corners and neither see each other in time. Lacey feels hot coffee go all over her shirt. She lets out a shriek into her phone and her father freaks out. It takes other several minutes to calm him down before hanging up completely. Lacey begins to shift around in discomfort of her soaking wet and hot shirt. She looks up to see who spilled it on her.

A man with long graying hair, dark eyes and many wrinkles on his face looks at her with little concern as he attempts to wipe some stains from his own, neatly pressed uniform. He looks rather strict and very uptight Lacey guesses from his posture.

She waits for him to apologize, but he merely tries to scrub the stains off his own uniform. Her t-shirt took the worst of it and no doubt her skin was scalding underneath.

"Please watch where you're going," the man says in a thick Irish accent.

Lacey's mouth hangs open in surprise and disgust.

"Excuse me?!" she snaps. "You ran into me and it was your coffee that has now burnt my skin."

"Let's not point fingers, but I do expect you to pay for my dry cleaning."

Lacey's face turns red in anger. She wants to slap this man across the face for his rudeness, but obviously, that would just get her into trouble. This man was an officer and judging from his badges and medals, he was a high ranking one too, and wasn't afraid to show it.

"I will do no such thing, in any case, you should be paying for my dry cleaning and my medical bills for my burns."

"I hardly think hot coffee requires medical attention," the man says firmly.

"Well maybe then they can fix your eyes if they can't tell you where you're going!" Lacey growls.

"Did your mother ever teach you manners?" the man says bluntly.

It takes everything in her not to slap him then and there.

"Why you…!"

"Break it up Lacey," David says coolly, coming up behind her and grabbing her arm. Several of her friends had come to see what she was so upset about.

"Yeah, he's not worth your strength," Leroy says, coming around the corner. He had heard the impact and was watching with glee at the confrontation. He is so very pleased that Gold had his uniform soiled, it served him right.

Gold's brown eyes laser in on the woman's blue ones until he looks past her and David and his eyes widen. He swallows a large lump in his throat as his eyes meet someone he has not seen in years.

"B-Bae?"

 _Here's some background on Neal and Lacey. It's clear that no one is happy to see him, even his own son. Sorry to the reviewer who wanted a chapter before 10:00, I have two assignments due and was spending time working on them. Please Review and Follow._


	26. Chapter 26

"You know that's not my name anymore," Neal says through gritted teeth. He feels the veins in his head begin to pop as his blood boils from seeing Gold again.

"Wait you know him?!" Lacey says in confusion.

"Why would anyone want to know him?" Leroy grumbles.

Gold ignores him. "Of course I know him, he's my son."

The hallway seems to go quiet from this realization. No one knew this, not even David, Mary Margret or Regina, who had known him the longest. David looks at Neal and then over at Gold.

"I can see some resemblance," he says quietly.

"Something I wish wasn't true," Neal grimaces.

Gold takes a step towards his son. "Bae, how long has it been?"

"Not long enough," Neal practically snarls. "And my name is Neal!"

Gold's son then storms off, towards the exit. Henry races after him in desperation.

"Dad, Dad wait!"

One could tell that Mary Margret wanted to go after Henry, but with the weight of her baby, it was impossible.

"Go follow them, Killian," she requests.

"Why?" he asks, raising his eyebrow.

"In case Neal tries to take Henry for his own."

"Right," Killian says and follows to where the two Cassidy men disappeared. Once the docks man is gone, David turns back to Gold, who has lost a lot of colour in his face.

"Are you okay?" Lacey asks.

"B-Bae told me that he had a son, I didn't realize it was Swan's son too."

"You seriously didn't know?" Anna calls from the doorway.

"Well, Baelfire and I are not exactly the closest anymore."

"Baelfire?" Lacey says in confusion, raising her eyebrow.

"That is… Neal's original name," Gold explains. He feels a tiny bit of guilt for not taking Swan's case more seriously, especially if she was the Emma.

Gold and Neal had never had a good relationship. Gold was always working and had very little time for his son when he was home, he put so much pressure on his son to succeed, Neal developed low self-esteem. On top of that, Neal's mother was very unfaithful to the family and often left the kid alone. Neither parent seemed to take much notice of their own son; Gold did love him, very much, it's just with his wife's infidelity, the only way to cope with the stress was to work hard to provide for his family. He wanted Baelfire to be like him and therefore tried to get him to work very hard to be successful. His wife couldn't keep a job and was out drinking most nights during Neal's childhood. Neal had been basically forced to raise himself and had tried to run away many times, but due to his father's resources, he was always brought home again. The minute he turned eighteen, Neal was gone, left with little contact with either of his parents. He went around working odd jobs and stealing when he needed to survive. When he met Emma, he knew he was in love and wanted to succeed where his father failed. When Henry was born, Neal swore to never let his father or mother near his son for fear they might do what they did to him. Gold did try to reach out to Neal a few times, having a private investigator track him down. Gold begged for his son to at least talk to him occasionally and despite everything, the two had the occasional phone call, but Neal kept his father out of his new life. When Emma got a job at the police station, Neal never went to visit her for fear of running into his father and just kept any questions she asked about his family vague.

When Henry turned ten, his father called saying his mother had died of alcohol poisoning in a bar bathroom. Neal told Emma he was having a guys weekend and went to her funeral. Several months later, his father called again to tell him he was engaged to a much younger woman. This horrified Neal and he tried to sever all communications with his father. Neal fell into his mother's patterns of drinking and infidelity until the guilt built up and he decided to propose to Emma. He never wanted to make his father's or mother's mistakes. However, the phone call of the divorce was too much for Neal and he left everything behind.

…

Neal sits out on a bench in front of the police station and pulls out a cigarette. He lights up and begins smoking to calm down his rage.

"Dad!" Henry calls out, coming down the steps in front of the police station. The teen stops short to see his father smoking.

"Hey buddy," Neal says meekly.

"When…When did you start smoking?"

"Awhile back, you just never noticed."

Henry feels something stir in his stomach, some form of anger. His eyes well up with confused tears.

"Mr…Mr. Gold is your dad?" Henry whispers.

Neal blows out some smoke before answering. "Yes, unfortunately…"

"Why-Why-Why didn't you ever say anything?!"

"It's complicated," Neal sighs. He looks over at his son who's on the verge of a mental breakdown. He motions for his son to sit next to him. Henry's face twists at the foul smell of the cigarette. Neal flicks the butt into the street.

"Come and sit down," he says. "It's time you learned the truth…"

Killian opens the door quietly and sees the two sitting on a bench talking, he was going to back and tell Mary Margret, but curiosity gets the best of him and he stays in the shadows to listen.

Neal tells his son everything that led up to him leaving. He is saving the engagement stuff for much later, hopefully after Emma was found. Henry cries most of the time, looking at his dad in disbelief and shaking his head often. Neal knew this was hard for him, but it was probably even harder for his son. He had the urge to pull Henry into a hug and never let him go. He missed the times Henry would come running into the bedroom at six o'clock in the morning and jump on him in excitement. He missed when the two would wrestle on the bed until Neal pinned his small son down and tickled him into submission. He could almost hear his son's delightful giggles in his ears. The happy image of his son, gave way to this growing teenager, with sad eyes and shaggy hair. He missed Henry's first day of high school, his swim meets, his elementary school graduation and now… he missed seeing his son get a girlfriend from the looks of it. Neal knew he should have never left, but it just happened and missed seeing his son grow up even more. He knew that neither Henry nor Emma would ever forgive him for running off, but Henry needed someone now… and so did Emma.

When Neal is done, the two sit in awkward silence for a long time as the Boston traffic quiets down as the night grows later and later. The two sit beside a street light and the autumn wind sends dried leaves across the sidewalk.

Henry gets up without saying a word and goes back to the station. Neal knew his son needed time to process everything and he wanted to give the teen his space. Once Henry is out of sight, Neal lights up another cigarette and Killian comes out of his hiding spot. He takes a few slow steps towards Emma's ex-fiancé.

"Did you catch all that?" Neal asks out loud, having figured out pretty quickly that Killian was listening.

"Every word," Killian hisses quietly.

"Felt like the kid finally deserved the truth," Neal sighs, blowing out a large puff of smoke. Killian stands beside the bench now, almost afraid to approach Neal as if he's a bomb that is about to detonate.

"He did indeed," Killian says sharply.

"Look, you can judge me all you want, but I'm not trying to hurt him. I'm here to help find Emma."

"Didn't seem to bother you when you hurt them before," Killian points out.

Neal glares at Killian. "You don't think I felt guilty about leaving? You don't think I spent nights crying myself to sleep because I couldn't see my son or the woman I loved? You don't think I spent many evenings staring at the phone wanting to pick it up and apologize?"

Killian takes a step back as Neal's anger seems to rise.

"I made a bad choice and now I'm reaping the consequences for it. I'll live with this for the rest of my life, but I came to help…"

Killian swallows. He does feel angry about what Neal did to Emma and Henry, but he could also understand the man's point of view. Neal's life had been very hard, as had his and they reacted in the only ways they knew how; Neal by running away and Killian by drinking. "I've made quite a few mistakes in my lifetime too, and I'll have to live with the consequences as well."

Neal looks at the man in the light of the streetlamp. The two stayed quiet for a long while.

"I hope you were treating her well," Neal says. "I know it's not my place, but I did hope that she would find someone much better than me."

"I'm not exactly Prince Charming, I've come from a broken family too and had my fair share of demons, but…"

"But Emma made all of them go away?" Neal prompts.

Killian almost smiles as he pictures Emma's beautiful face in his mind.

"Aye, she did and made me feel like the most important person in the world. She was an enigma, but she was worth it. Worth every minute of it"

Neal gives a weak smile. Reality then hits the two men again; Emma was missing and they had not found her at all. The two of them missed her dearly.

"I won't try to steal her back," Neal says quietly after a long silence. "I didn't come here to try and win her back. I'm not trying to redeem myself, but I want to do what I can to bring her home. If I didn't, I'd probably be haunted by her missing person's image forever and I might kill myself. I don't deserve her anymore and clearly, she made her choice…"

Killian nods lightly before looking back into the station.

"When are you going to tell the Lad you're dating again?" Killian asks.

The colour drains from Neal's face. "How…How did you know that?"

"I saw you phone light up in your pocket with a girl's name, I could only assume you were dating again."

"I'm actually engaged," Neal corrects. He swallows a large lump in his throat. His stomach turns in guilt and he wonders if Killian is thinking that he is trying to replace Emma in some way. "I'm just not sure how to tell Henry."

"Gently, I hope," Killian says earnestly. "The lad is another step from falling down the rabbit hole."

"I should've just stayed away," Neal sighs, crushing his cigarette under his foot. "The last thing he needs is me coming back and revealing all my secrets to him. I just came back to help. It's as if my good deed might give me some form of self-respect back, but with my father here, that went out the window."

"It did indeed," Killian agrees.

The wind begins to pick up again and Killian decides it's time to head back inside.

"You coming in Mate?" Killian asks.

"No, I can't face my father right now, Henry's had enough drama for one night."

"Where are you staying?" Killian asks.

"At a motel. Tell Henry I'll call him in the morning."

Killian nods and watches as Neal walks down the street towards his car. Killian had very mixed feelings about this man. He had good qualities and bad, like everyone else and he did seem concerned in trying to find Emma again. The thought of the beautiful blonde makes his stomach turn and drags him back to cruel reality. Their search party only turned up her phone and nothing else. Killian wants to find her so badly. He wants to see her lively green eyes again and hear her laugh. He wanted to see Henry smile again and he wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go again.

…

"We managed to get a partial fingerprint from the phone," Nova explains to David.

"Anything else?" David asks.

"We're still waiting on the cell phone company to find which cell tower her phone last pinged off of. From there we can search the general area."

David sighs and stretches out, the heat and exhaustion of the day are weighing on him heavily. At least they had something, it was better than what they had before, but they still could not identify this man or better yet, know if Emma was still alive… He pushes the thought down when it comes up.

"You should go home David," Nova says. "Everyone should go home and rest."

"What about…?"

"I can take care of it, I wasn't out all day on the city streets looking for my friend."

"I just wish we could've found more…" David mutters.

"You did what you could and it paid off in the long run. It will be okay," Nova says giving him a reassuring smile.

David gives the best smile he can muster before going to find everyone else. He finds most of them in the cafeteria, some half asleep.

Out of the corner of his eye, David sees Gold in his uniform and he actually seems to be talking to someone, which was very rare. There is even a hint of a smile on his face, even rarer. David blinks a few times to make sure he's not hallucinating from exhaustion and sure enough, the commissioner is talking to Lacey while wearing an old shirt that Gold had dug out of the evidence locker for her. Her bright blue eyes seem to be locked on this older man as if the anger and resentment from before had been wiped clean away. As David pushes open the cafeteria door, he swears he hears Gold laugh.

 _What a strange day…_ he thinks to himself. _You never know what will happen._

 _Here's Chapter 26. Thank you for all the great reviews. Please keep them coming and follow the story._


	27. Chapter 27

Emma continues to work at the piece on the bed frame. It's extremely hard to do this without making too much noise and with her hands restrained so tightly. She ends up cutting her fingers a few times while trying to get this spring loose and she must rest once and awhile so she doesn't strain herself. She's doing the best she can and every time the piece is loosened just a bit, it feels like a small victory. Her heart beats in anticipation, the thought of escaping from this monster and being rescued fills her with relief. The thought of seeing her son and holding him again fills her with joy. Once she had Henry in her arms, she would never let him go again. She also anticipates seeing Killian again, with his bright blue eyes and odd half-smile, it makes her blush to think about it.

The man is visiting three times a day now, bringing her food all three times. He does not rape as often anymore, but he still asks if she feels any different, to which Emma does not respond at all. The thought of carrying this man's child makes her skin crawl. She never wanted to have a child against her will. She already had Henry and if… one day along the line she and Killian decided to have a baby, she would be very happy to oblige, but not here and not now. She had heard stories of women and girls who had had children for their captors and though they would love their children unconditionally, despite the circumstances in which they were conceived, the child would still be as much a captive as the mother and no one would want to raise their child in horrible conditions. Emma knew that she had to escape soon before the chance of having this monster's child came to fruition. If she did have the baby, then she would likely never be able to escape.

Time is still lost on Emma, the only way she keeps track of anything is with the man bringing her food. He does give her a bit of a variety in terms of the meal and Emma wonders if this is because he thinks that she's trusting him more and more and becoming compliant with his sexual needs with her. He lets her shower more frequently and even gives her a toothbrush to use. He still keeps her in chains and has his way with her when the mood strikes him. She doesn't know how much time has passed since he abducted her, but it was too long.

One day, after the man had allowed her to shower, he was chaining her to the bed again when he says something different.

"You better not make any noise today, my wife is at home today and if she hears anything from you…"

His breath becomes heavy as if he's becoming angry.

"I might have to do something to both of you…"

Emma's heart beats frantically. The man was threatening her life as well as his wife's. Obviously, he had no reservations to hurt both of them, showing how dark and violent this man could be. She does her best not to cry. This threat scared her but it also lit a fire inside Emma. She had to escape now, or something worse could happen to her as well as someone else.

Once the man is done and has taken the tray upstairs, she begins to work even harder on the piece of metal. She needed to get out as soon as possible.

She twists at the piece of metal a little harder than ever before and she almost screams out from behind the tape when it finally comes off. Emma's heart pounds in excitement as she squeezes the piece of metal tightly in her hands. In the darkness, she feels for the key hole of the handcuffs and bends the metal enough to start picking at it. She'd picked locks before in her teen years to break into houses and such and yet again she was doing this for survival.

…

Meanwhile, upstairs, Gwen was washing some of the dishes, happy to have a day off.

Arthur comes up from the basement, puts the lock back on the door and shuffles around in the back room.

Gwen is becoming more and more suspicious with each passing day. Arthur kept going down to the basement more frequently, bringing food down on a tray. At first, she assumed that he was bringing food down for himself as he worked on the scaffolding projects, but sometimes he came up too quickly to have done any work. She also didn't hear the sounds of working downstairs. Metal on metal, hammering, welding, the sounds of pipes being cut in half. It was usually dead quiet and often Arthur came up with not a spot of grease on him.

Gwendolyn was usually someone who minded her own business, she trusted her husband, for the most part, with exception of his gambling, his short temper, and rough sex problems, but now he seemed even shadier than ever before. He didn't talk to her much anymore, he didn't play with the children as often as he used to and he came up to bed very late from the basement most nights now.

 _It's all because of that stupid basement. What the hell is he hiding?_ She thought to herself.

She knew she shouldn't be prying into her husband's life, but the two of them were married, they shouldn't be keeping secrets from one another. She was also worried that he might be doing something illegal down there.

Arthur comes into the kitchen that snaps Gwen out of her thoughts. He goes into the fridge and grabs a few cans of beer. He then comes over and kisses Gwen on the cheek.

"I'm going out for awhile," he says, tucking the beer cans under his arm. "Gerry and I are discussing some of the problems I'm having with the scaffolding."

"Don't you think that could wait?" Gwen says, taking a deep breath. "I was hoping you and I could just spend some time together, maybe see a movie while the kids are in school?"

Arthur looks at her thoughtfully, tempted by the idea. Every since he had grabbed Emma Swan, he was much more distant from her and the kids, which he hated, but he was doing this for them. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

"I'm…"

Gwen washes her hands and then leans in closely to Arthur, grabbing his thick bicep. She knows that she has a problem with Arthur's performance in bed, but it had been so long since they had been intimate, she was willing to do anything. She leans in closely and whispers in his ear.

"Or maybe we should just go upstairs and…"

"Make a baby?" Arthur says in a hot voice.

"Well we don't have to worry about that anymore," Gwen says quietly. "But if you want to think that…I'm fine."

"That's what you think," Arthur mutters.

"What was that?" Gwen asks, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Arthur's heart is racing. He does want to have sex with his wife, but he had this weird feeling as if he was betraying Emma in some way. She was going to be the one providing the baby, and he felt having sex with his wife, might cause complications with getting Emma pregnant. His wife could have a disease that he might pass on to Emma and this could put the baby at risk.

"Nothing," he says. "I'd love to honey, but I've already canceled on Gerry twice, if you want me to get paid, I have to go. Maybe later we can kick it."

Gwen's heart broke a little bit, being brushed off by her husband like this. He'd never said no to her tempting him with sex before, that was usually her job to say no, but Arthur gives her a long kiss before heading out the door. She is left there standing in the kitchen, alone and very embarrassed. Her heart broke a little bit as the sound of the car roared to life in the driveway and faded into the distance.

Gwen flushes a shade of red and turns toward the basement. Whatever was down there had changed her husband for the worst. It was like something had forced him to change for the worst. She looks at the padlock on the door and then heads for the garage.

…

 ** _*Click*_**

Emma's heart nearly explodes in relief and excitement as she hears the handcuffs fall to the ground, still dangling by the chain. It takes all her strength not to yell out in joy. Emma rubs her wrists and stretches out fully. Her joints crack and give her more relief. She feels so happy to be free. She hadn't been out of the handcuffs at all since she was brought here.

She rips the tape from her mouth and then goes to work on cuffs around her feet. This takes a bit longer since she's in the dark, but after much patience, she no longer feels metal around her ankles.

Emma stands up and stretches a little bit more. She really wants to run around the room, overjoyed at being free, but she knows better. She feels a few tears leak from her face until she snaps back to reality. She wasn't out of the woods yet. Not even close.

She fumbles around in the dark until she finds the light and plugs it in. She shines the light near the man's work bench and the surrounding area, looking for any place of escape. She can't find one, except the door to the bathroom area. She then focuses in on the work bench, deciding she'll have to likely break down the upstairs door in order to escape.

Emma looks at all the different tools on this wooden work bench. Her stomach turns several times when she sees the needles and the drugs he'd been using to knock her out. She also sees an assortment of weapons such as blades and a few guns. This was no ordinary workbench, it was torture bench, with chains, clothes, weapons, drugs, the taser and whips to keep his prisoners under control. It was if she was looking into his disgusting and twisted mind. What made it even more disturbing is she found a photograph of the man with his family, taped to the wall next to his weapons. Emma began wondering if this man had done something like this to other women before. She didn't want to stick around and find out. He had to be stopped and she had to escape. Emma finds an ax hanging on a nearby wall and also grabs one of the guns. She finds ammunition in one of the drawers of the bench and loads it expertly. She rushes for the concrete stairs, which are cold against her bare feet, but she had to escape. She puts the gun the waistband of the pants and prepares to break down the door with the ax.

…

Gwen finds the perfect screwdriver out in the garage and begins to pick the lock to the basement. She fumbles around with it several times as she's never done anything like this before, but soon she begins to get at the inner workings of the lock.

While she picks at the lock, she pictures whatever could be down in that basement. A dead body, piles of drugs, illegal merchandise, a pornography studio, a sex dungeon… or maybe just metal scaffolding, but Gwen couldn't rest until she knew what was behind that door.

There is a faint click, the lock is in her hands. Gwen's heart begins to beat rapidly as she slowly opens the basement door, just as Emma was about to swing the ax.

…

Emma is blinded by the sudden light and she drops the ax down the stairs in surprise. Staring at her is a woman, probably in her thirties with dirty blonde hair and gray eyes. She was wearing very loose clothing and had a look of utter shock and surprise on her face.

…

Gwendolyn nearly passes out from shock, in front of her is a thin young woman, most likely in her twenties, with blonde hair and green eyes that show a look of pure shock. She looked dirty and was wearing some of her old clothing. Her skin was pale and there were dark bruises around her neck, indicating some form of abuse. Her mind races, thinking to use the screwdriver as a weapon as the woman has an ax with her until she drops it down the stairs with a loud crash.

Neither woman can speak by the sheer shock of seeing one another, so many confused thoughts running through their heads. Gwen's are angry while Emma's are a bit scared.

"Who…Who are you?" Emma finally manages to ask.

Just then the sound of a car door slams in the driveway.

 _Uh Oh! Please Review and Follow_


	28. Chapter 28

Both woman's hearts beat very quickly and look at one another. It's as if both are thinking the same thing. They know what this man is capable of…a man with a short temper and unusual sexual fetishes.

Gwendolyn is torn on what to do. Clearly, this woman is being held against her will and Gwendolyn recognizes her from the news the other night. She's the missing woman, Emma Swan. If she lets Emma go, Arthur might catch her and possibly kill her, but if she shoves the woman back into the basement, she's basically kidnapping her too and preventing the woman her one chance of escaping.

Emma wants to immediately hold the woman at gunpoint and force this man to let her go in exchange for his wife's life. Emma knows that this is very drastic and she'd never threatened to kill anyone, but this whole situation is extremely drastic. She just had to get out of this house. She thought that maybe this woman knew that she was down there, but by the look on her face and the man's insistence that she keep quiet, this man's wife is an innocent bystander who stumbled onto her captivity by accident.

The hesitation turns out to be a huge problem. The front door slams shut and thick heavy boots can be heard.

"Honey?" the wheezy voice calls from down the hall.

Both women's hearts drop to their stomachs. Emma fumbles for her gun and raises it. Gwendolyn shrinks against the back wall across from the basement door and curls up into a ball. She drops the screwdriver to the floor and feels tears welling up in her eyes. She begins to hyperventilate and sob at the same time.

"Gwen?" his voice calls out again. "Honey? Are you alright?"

The heavy boots come down the hall and Emma points the gun towards the sound. She takes a strong stance, prepared to protect herself.

When Arthur rounds the corner, he freezes… eyes wide by the scene he sees in front of him.

Something inside him snaps and a fire is lit inside him.

"Don't come any closer," Emma says bravely. "I'm getting out of this hell hole if it's the last thing I do."

Arthur takes in a sharp breath. He looks from Emma to Gwen and back again. He feels his rage growing ever so slowly inside of him. It takes everything he has not to explode, he turns to his wife.

"Gwen…" he says in an eerily calm voice. "What's going on?"

"She helped me," Emma says. She suddenly realizes what this statement could mean for the woman so she adds, "Unintentionally she picked the lock, which was small potatoes to me breaking down the door with an ax. She didn't know I was here and now I'm leaving…"

"Are you?" Arthur says smoothly.

"Don't Arthur…" Gwendolyn weeps from the floor. She's shaking erratically. Her mind is racing, so confused about what her husband has done. What would this mean for her family? Her children? She should've left when she had the chance, but now she knew too much. But if she had left, someone may have never discovered and inadvertently set this poor woman free. She's so afraid of what to do.

"What was that?" he growls.

"Let the woman go…"

"I can't do that Gwen," Arthur says. He takes a step towards Gwen instead of Emma. Emma holds the gun up, having it pointed directly at Arthur's heart. Emma knows she should protect the woman, not knowing what this monster might do to her. She had to stand up for the woman's life, clearly, she was caught in the man's twisted web.

"Don't get any closer to her!" Emma warns.

Arthur turns to look at his captive, very surprised about how fiercely she was holding the gun. She held it expertly, so he assumed that she had some experience with weapons.

"You're going to protect her?" he asks in surprise.

"She's clearly afraid of you, you bastard! I protect the innocent."

"What are you a cop?" Arthur asks.

"Bail bonds," Emma says.

"A woman of the law…" Arthur says. He takes a step back from Gwen and turns to face Emma fully. "No wonder you put up such a fight."

"I put up a fight because you were raping me!" Emma snaps. "I did what I could to protect myself."

Gwen weeps a little harder as Emma shouts out what she already assumed. "Why Arthur Why?!" she whimpers from the floor.

"I did it for us," Arthur says in a gentler voice.

"He wants to get me pregnant!" Emma shouts. "Give him a baby since you can't anymore."

Arthur's face turns red in anger and he clenches his fists. To hear this horrible truth said out loud makes him embarrassed and upset. Gwen never checked with him before she had the operation, never asked if he wanted another child. It's why he did this in the first place… to give them a new family. Now with Emma saying his plan out loud, it made him sound clinically insane, which was likely true at this moment with his anger levels rising more and more each second.

"Why would you do this?!" Gwen screams.

"He's insane, your husband is insane," Emma says.

This sends Arthur over the edge.

He lunges at Emma so quickly that the gun goes off, but merely grazes his arm. He swats the gun from her hand and then punches the blonde in the face. Emma goes down, disoriented and her nose is bleeding. She fights the dizziness as best she can, she uses her leg to hit Arthur in the back of the leg hard. He cringes, but he grabs Emma around the throat again. Emma immediately struggles, trying to claw at Arthur's face, dragging her nails along his cheeks. She tries to defend herself, but Arthur gets on top of her struggling body. Normally, she'd be able to throw him off, but because of her lack of nutrition, she's much weaker to put up a good fight. Arthur begins to squeeze her windpipe, taking her breath away as he gets even tighter. Emma gasps desperately, she continues to claw at him, trying to take his hands away. She fears that this might be her last few moments. Her mind races to find something… anything to save herself. She keeps fighting, tears welling up from the lack of oxygen. She thinks of Henry, Killian, Mary Margret, David, Ruby and everyone else whom she would never see again. Everything goes black.

…

Arthur is still strangling Emma until he feels a sharp pain in his back. He drops the unconscious and bleeding Emma to the ground and turns to see a screwdriver stick out of his left shoulder. He sees his distraught wife glaring at him, angry eyes behind frightened tears. He turns like a wild animal would after being attacked and goes towards his wife.

"You're a monster!" Gwen says as fiercely as she can.

"You haven't the faintest idea!" he roars.

He lunges forward, screwdriver still in his shoulder and shoves his wife against the wall. He begins to get his hands around her throat, but Gwen knees him in the groin. He goes down a little bit, allowing Gwen to grab the screwdriver from his shoulder. She goes to stab him again when Arthur shoves his whole body and his wife against the wall. Gwendolyn smashes her head against the wall and becomes unconscious. She falls limp on the floor.

Arthur suddenly gathers his bearings. He blinks and sees his wife on the ground. He then looks at his surrogate lying on the floor, beaten up, but still alive.

He takes a step back and takes a deep breath. He rubs the angry tears from his eyes and uses the kitchen counter to support himself. He can't believe what he has just done, but now even his wife has turned against him. She called him a monster and Emma called him insane. Those words set him off and turned him into a monster. A monster that was bent on killing those he cared about.

Arthur stumbles to the fridge and pulls out a can of beer. He chugs down the whole thing and crushes it in his hands.

A sharp pain suddenly hits him and he feels a warm liquid running down his back. Right, the screwdriver his wife used to stab him with. He tenderly puts his hand up to his shoulder and feels that the blood is soaking through his t-shirt. He immediately goes upstairs, past the unconscious women and goes to treat his wound. He puts lots of rubbing alcohol on it, despite how much it stings and waits until it stops bleeding enough for him to wrap it up. He also treats the scratches Emma gave him on his face and arms. He checks where the bullet grazed him and there was nothing but a red mark. Once he's done that he comes back down and stares at the two women. There's a bullet hole in the wall where Emma missed.

He had to figure out what to do. He couldn't hide Emma here anymore now that Gwen knew about everything, but Emma had yet to provide the family with a baby… if they could be called that anymore. Now that Gwen… his beloved wife had turned against him; he couldn't include her in his plans anymore.

He would have to leave with Emma. Take the kids with him too and take them far away. He could be a single father and still have that baby that he wanted. He could start a new life for all of them…

Immediately he jumps into action.

Arthur goes downstairs, grabs the drugs and injects them into his wife. The longer she was out, the more of a chance he had of getting away. When she would wake up, he'd be long gone with Emma and the children. He cries as he looks at his wife, so limp, so still on the floor. He saw her wonderful beauty and wished that she had just cooperated, then he wouldn't have to do this to her. He gives her one last long kiss and the shoves her into the corner.

Arthur checks Emma's pulse and makes sure her airway is open. She would be okay, but Arthur knew he couldn't take any chances. He decided not to drug her in case it killed her.

He goes down to the basement and decides to use duct tape instead of the chains. He comes back up and binds Emma's hands behind her back with several layers of tape. He then does it to her feet. Finally, since the tape might suffocate her, he stuffs some extra gauze in her mouth. He also wipes the blood from her nose and puts any ice pack on her neck.

Arthur then goes to pack. He goes upstairs and grabs three duffle bags, two of them his children used at their weekend trip to Grandma's. He shoves warm clothes into his daughter's and son's bags. He also packs books and several of their favourite toys in there as well. He then goes to his room and packs clothing for him and for Emma. He grabs several sweaters for himself and more of his wife's clothing. He stares at his cell phone for a few moments and then decides to leave it, it could very well be traced. He puts the clothing bags by the door and then goes to the basement. He grabs the handcuffs, the chains, a few knives and guns, a fresh supply of drugs and syringes, some of the pregnancy tests he was going to force Emma to take, as well as the pillow and blanket from the bed. At the last minute, he decides to grab that family picture on his work bench before going back upstairs.

He takes all the money from his wife's purse and one of her credit cards. He then puts all the supplies by the door and decides to drive his car around to the back like he'd done the first night he'd brought Emma home. He didn't want his neighbours freaking out just yet that he was carrying an unconscious woman who looks like a dead body into his car.

Arthur pulls around the back, puts the bags in the very far back. Fortunately, their trunk was like a separate area, so his children would not suspect a thing. He places the pillow down and then he goes over and picks up a bound and gagged Emma. She's quite heavy in his arms, but he manages. His shoulder does sting quite a lot, but he pushes through. He brings her out to the car and lays her down, with her head on the pillow. She looked so delicate and fragile, very pale from being in the dark for so long. At the last minute, Arthur puts some duct tape around Emma's eyes… just in case. He then puts the blanket over her. He gets one last look at her pale face before shutting the trunk and locking it.

Arthur then comes back in. He grabs a few cans of beer from the fridge and some extra food to keep the kids happy on their "road trip." He locks the front door and leaves a light on in the living room to make it look like someone was home. He stares at his wife on the floor for a long few moments, his heart heavy with grief.

"You left me no choice," he says.

He takes only his car keys and then leaves a bottle of water next to Gwen. He relocks the basement to give the police a harder time and wipes his fingerprints from it. At the last minute, he places an old sweater under her head before heading out the back door and locking it.

Arthur stands outside in the fall air, taking in a deep breath. He was doing what was right and he needed to start over.

Arthur then drives towards his children's school. He tries to act as casually as he can. He decides against taking his kids out early, as to not arouse suspicion and it was Friday so a weekend family trip wouldn't seem so unusual. As he waits, he keeps thinking about what he is doing.

 _It's for the good of the family_ , he thinks to himself.

When the bell rings to let the kids out, Arthur gets out of the car and waits for his children.

Megan squeals when she sees her daddy and wraps her arms around his legs.

"Daddy, what are you doing here?"

"I have a surprise for you," he says in a calm and collected voice. You'd never have guessed that he had had a fight with his wife and captive today. He beams down at his daughter.

"What is it? What is it?!" Megan asks, jumping up and down.

"We'll wait for Ben before I tell you."

When his young son who is the spitting image of him comes out the door and hugs his daddy, Arthur buckles them into the car.

"Okay guys, here's the surprise… We're going on a road trip."

The kids look confused at first and look at one another.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Arthur says, even though he didn't have the faintest idea yet. "But we're going on the classic road trip to see the sights and have fun. We might even get to go to some water slides. Don't worry, it's only for the weekend."

The kids smile at the mention of waterslides.

"We might even go to a space museum."

This gets Ben excited.

"Where's Mommy?" Ben asks.

"She has to work this weekend and there was an emergency surgery that she had to go to, so she couldn't say goodbye. But we'll talk to her soon."

"Why isn't she coming?" Megan asks.

"Well… you guys had your trip with just Mommy to Grandma's, didn't you? Now, this is your trip with just Daddy okay?"

The kids are a little reluctant without their mother, but as soon as Arthur turns the radio on and gives them chips to eat, they settle right down and don't ask about anything else.

Arthur begins to pull out of the school parking lot, his heart pounding and his palms sweating on the wheel. He takes a deep breath before pulling onto the highway.

 _Such a twist. Please keep reviewing and following and I'll keep updating._


	29. Chapter 29

Arthur drives along the highway, completely focused on the road ahead of him. Megan and Ben are in the back either reading a book or playing a video game. They seem quite content with the exciting trip… trouble is, Arthur doesn't have a destination in mind.

Every time they hit a bump, he prays his children don't hear groaning or the loud thud of the body in the back. Arthur had to think things through, but his mind is so overwhelmed that he can't focus. Basically, he abducted a woman whom he plans to get pregnant and his children, who are oblivious to the reality of what their father has done, have been kidnapped. He knows once Gwen wakes up, the cops will be looking for him and his children, he had to get over the state border before that happened. He also needed to change his appearance so at least he wouldn't be recognized.

He pulls off another interstate and they are cruising along with trees covering them on both sides. The leaves are changing colour.

"Look at the colours guys," Arthur says, trying to distract himself and his children. "Look how nice they are."

"Pretty," Megan says. "Look at the orange!"

"Daddy?" Ben asks.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Why isn't Mommy coming?"

"I told you already," Arthur says. "She has to work this weekend."

"Can we talk to her?" Ben asks.

"N-Not right now, my phone is buried in my bag in the back and she can't have her phone on during surgery remember?"

Ben nods.

"She'll call…" Arthur says. "Or I'll call her and you can say hi."

"But who will read me a story?" Ben asks. "Or sing my song?"

"I will," Arthur says as confidently as he can.

"But I want Mommy to," Ben says.

"We'll see what happens okay buddy?" Arthur says, trying to drop the subject.

"Okay," Ben says, going back to his video game.

They are quiet for a little while.

"Daddy?" this time his daughter is asking the questions.

"Yes, baby girl?"

"When will we get there?" she asks.

"That's the thing about road trips Meg, we don't really have a destination, at least not yet. We'll go to the water parks, but half the fun is enjoying the trip and seeing what we can see."

"What about school?"

"Don't worry about school, your teacher won't miss you for one day if we get back late, don't you fret."

Megan keeps looking out the window, watching cars go past.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?" Arthur says in a huffed breath, getting a little annoyed with the questions.

"Where are we going to sleep?"

"In a motel, or would you rather sleep in the car next to Ben and his slimy thumb?"

Megan's face twists with disgust at the thought of her brother's thumb.

"How about we listen to the radio?" Arthur suggests, trying to keep the kids quiet for a little while so he can think things through.

A news station buzzes to life on the dashboard.

"And yet another day of unsuccessful searching for missing Boston resident Emma Swan, who was abducted two weeks previously from a bar downtown…"

Arthur quickly changes the dial to a good music station and lets it play.

…

They eventually come to the state border that will take them from Massachusetts into Connecticut. Arthur sits, waiting patiently and nervously for his turn in the long line of cars waiting to cross over. The sky is slowly getting dark and Arthur knows he's going to have to be as calm as possible.

When he pulls up, a border officer comes to the driver's side and Arthur rolls down his window.

"Where are you headed, sir?"

"We're hoping to hit the local water parks in Connecticut for a family road trip."

The officer peers into the back at the two children who are close to falling asleep.

"Any chance of smuggling illegal aliens, sir?"

"None at all, it's just the three of us."

"Mind if I check your trunk?"

Arthur swallows heavily and his heart races. He knows this is the end, he's going to be caught. The man will open the trunk and see the unconscious woman bound and gagged. He regrets everything that he did as the officer made his way to the back.

"Is there a way I can get this open?" the officer calls.

Just then there's a screech and loud bang. Glass seems to shatter everywhere, Arthur practically ducks, thinking it might be a gun shot. The officer's radio crackles to life.

"Joel, we need your help, just had a bad car crash. Someone is trying to smuggle drugs and they hit the guard rail."

"I'll be right there."

Officer Joel comes back to the front.

"You're free to go, drive carefully please,"

"Thank you, sir, have a good night," Arthur says. He tries to act calm and collected, but inside he's doing somersaults.

 _They didn't find her!_ His insides are jumping for joy. _Oh happy day, I take back everything I said._

Arthur continues into Connecticut, feeling great relief. The police didn't find him and he's miles ahead of the cops searching for Miss Swan.

"Daddy I'm hungry," Megan whines from the back.

"We'll eat soon baby girl, I promise," Arthur says happily.

They go for a few more miles until they pull into a great looking diner. They had the usual greasy foods and special treats. Also, nearby was a motel that they could spend the night in.

He pulls into the restaurant parking lot and goes inside.

He spoils the kids, allowing them to have burgers and fries, as well as milkshakes. The kids eat happily and tell their father about their day. They try to ask more questions about the water parks, but Arthur keeps telling them it's a surprise. He uses the money he stole from his wife's purse to pay for dinner.

Afterward, Arthur takes the kids over to the motel. He gets one room with two beds and free cable. He uses his wife's credit card to pay for it.

 _Thank God for tap technology_ , he muses to himself.

He opens the door to the room and lets the kids hop onto one of the beds. He lets them each pick their own, he would sleep on the couch… if he did any sleeping. The kids are excited and they jump on the bed to express it. Arthur brings the car around into the furthest corner of the motel parking lot and opens the trunk.

To his relief, Emma is still unconscious. He checks her pulse and her neck, which is badly bruised from his attack. She also has bruises along the side of her face where he hit her. It's hard to believe that it was just a few hours ago when he basically packed up his life and moved across state borders. Arthur covers her in another blanket, then grabs the bags and re-locks the trunk.

He brings in the bags.

There's an indoor pool at the motel and he allows the kids to go swimming. He sits on the deck watching the two children splash one another and swim around like little ducks. It breaks his heart thinking about what they are involved in. He wants the perfect life for his family, he wants happy children, a wife, and a spacious home. His wife has now betrayed him, but how long could he keep his secret? How long would it be until his children suspected something?

After the swim, Arthur has the kids dressed for bed. Ben wants to be read to, but Arthur tells him he should do a few errands to get things like toothbrushes, so he lets them watch TV. He locks the door and heads to the nearest convenience store up the road.

He immediately springs into action. He buys a few razors; he figures it's better to shave his face and head then trying to dye them. He buys some candy bars for the kids, a screwdriver, bottles of water, beef jerky, a map of Connecticut, toothbrushes, some beer, some medical supplies and a few other essentials. He pays for the everything and then heads back to the motel.

 _The first thing I need to do is get rid of my license plate._ He thinks to himself. _That'll be one of the first things Gwen will report._

Arthur looks at several of the other cars parked in the lot and selects one that looks really similar to his, but with Connecticut plates. He quickly and swiftly does a license plate swap with the screwdriver he bought.

He then re-opens the trunk. He places a new ice pack on Emma's throat and puts some water nearby for her, even though she couldn't reach it. He then re-locks the trunk.

When Arthur returns to the room, to his great relief, both kids have fallen asleep while watching TV. He turns it off and tucks both his kids into bed, kissing them both and turning off the light.

He then brings the rest of his supplies into the bathroom.

He takes a long, hard stare at himself in the mirror, the dark eyes glaring back at him.

 _Maybe I am a monster…?_ Arthur thought to himself. Those cold and unforgiving eyes… the unkempt face and wrinkly clothing. Anyone could fear him. He's made some bad choices, but who hasn't. he may have gone too far sometimes, but it was to benefit his family.

 _It's for the good of the kids. Gwen took so much from me, why can't I have something for myself for a change?_

Arthur takes one of the razors and slowly begins to shave his head. He cuts himself a few times, grimacing in pain, but very slowly… he becomes someone else. He looked like a military cadet or James McAvoy in that new thriller movie. The many with 23 different personalities.

He wasn't like that mentally ill man… at least he wasn't going to kill Emma and turn into a monster. She had a purpose and unlike the character, he had a family and friends, and no split personality. He was a sane person. He was doing what was best for himself and his kids.

Arthur then flushes all his hair down the sink and shaves the scruffy beard he's growing. Once he's done, he goes into the little kitchenette and spreads out the map in front of him.

 _Where can a wanted man and his children go?_

 _What do you think is going to happen next? Thank you for the follows and reviews._


	30. Chapter 30

"Any luck Nova?" David asks, coming into the room.

"The cell phone company said that they would call the second they got the data," Nova says. "How's your wife?"

"She's resting at home, with a lot of convincing."

"What about the others?"

"Elsa took Henry, Killian, Regina, Anna, Leroy, Ruby and Lacey up the street to the café."

"Let's just hope we get a lead soon," Nova mutters.

Leroy comes into the room with a tray of coffees.

"You know since Gold fired you, technically you can't be back here," David says.

"I honestly don't give a damn about what Gold does to me," Leroy says. He offers a coffee cup to the female officer. "Double Mocha is foamy just the way you like it, Nova."

"Thank you, Leroy," Nova says, smiling warmly. Her cheeks glow slightly.

"And black with one sugar," Leroy says, handing the coffee to David.

"Thank you," David mutters.

"Any word yet?" Leroy asks.

"Nothing, but they said they'd get back to us by today," Nova says.

"Hopefully you can do it soon, no telling how long it will take before Gold tries to have this case shelved. Plus Captain Guyliner and Emma's son are close to mental breakdowns."

"I think we all are," Nova says. "I can't remember the last time I slept."

David nods in agreement. He decides to go get some fresh air and clear his head.

When he reaches the lobby of the station, he sees Elsa talking to Jack, Ruby is texting, Anna reading a magazine, Regina working on some paperwork for her real-estate business, Henry playing games on his phone and Killian leans back with his eyes shut as if in concentration. There was someone missing.

"Hey guys, Where's Lacey?"

"Not sure," Ruby says. "I think she went to the bathroom or something. It's weird, she bought two coffees and went that way." Ruby points down to where the station offices are.

David turns when he hears a high-pitched giggle. It's not Elsa flirting with Jack, but coming from down near the offices. Curious, David casually walks along with his coffee. As he gets closer, he sees that Gold's office door is ajar. He leans in just enough to listen in.

"Well, I've dated some jerks in my life that's for sure," Lacey's voice can be heard.

"I wish I could say the same," Gold's voice responds. "I was married to a vixen for two years, worst days of my life."

"How many times have you been married?" Lacey asks.

"Too many," Gold says in a very relaxed voice. "I was happy to be able to do my own laundry again that didn't include skinny jeans and _John Mayer_ t-shirts."

Lacey gives a small giggle and Gold laughs along with her.

David is in disbelief, it's the first time he's heard Gold laugh in a genuine way. Ever since he started working at the station, the Commissioner has been nothing but serious, but now he was even cracking a joke, which was so alien coming from his mouth. He peers into the office to see Gold with his feet up on the desk, his uniform hanging loosely over his body and he drinks a coffee that Lacey no doubt bought for him. Lacey sat in the chair across from his desk, drinking her own coffee and smiling widely.

 _This is really weird;_ David thinks so himself. _But maybe if Gold falls for Lacey, despite the age gap, maybe he'll be more relaxed and co-operative…?_

David decides to leave his boss in privacy and head outside for a little bit.

He sits on the steps of the station and drinks his coffee. He watches the regular Boston traffic roll down the street and people milling about, going in and out of shops and other buildings.

 _One of them might know where Emma is_ , _one of them might have Emma hostage. I hope this clue will go somewhere, give us a chance to find her._

David shudders at the thought of what Emma might be going through. Maybe she was chained to a bed somewhere, locked in a shed, in a prostitution ring, on a boat half-way across the world, buried alive or stuck in a hole where a man with a dog feeds her by lowering a basket into it… maybe not those last ones, he's been watching too many movies.

Then his mind goes to the worst case scenario and his stomach twists so tightly that he can't finish his drink. Maybe Emma was dead… she was dumped in a forest or along a highway. Had she been shot? Stabbed? Strangled…left to starve. David fights back his own tears, swallows a large lump in his throat and checks his phone.

There's a message from his wife.

 _Aurora with me, not feeling great today, baby kicking a lot. Today is the day… I know it._

David always admired his wife's optimism and hope, even in the most dismal situations. It's one of the reasons he loved her so much. She tried to remain positive, even after her father died, she said that he was in a better place and even though she would miss him, he'd always be with her. However, David knew his wife used this positivity to mask her pain. She was always concerned for others and sometimes neglected herself in the process. She was happy during the day, but at night, like for the past week, she's been crying, terrified and fearing for her best friend. David knew he had to be strong for his wife and be her rock, but he too was close to breaking. They had to find Emma.

Suddenly, David sees Neal coming up the street. He has his hands in his pockets and he's coming towards the station. David swallows a new kind of lump in his throat, one of resentment and anger. Neal looks up to see David and he merely grimaces.

"Hello David," Neal says. "Any news?"

David shakes his head and avoids Neal's eyes.

Neal could feel the anger radiating from the lieutenant and he knew that he deserved it. He had made some bad choices and hurt Emma and his own son. Every day the guilt ate at him and he'd become numb to the anger he felt toward himself. But now, being back in Boston, it was a new wave of anger from those who loved Emma and Henry and it was just opening old wounds, causing them to bleed again and making him feel even worse. The pain cuts deep into him.

He merely stands in silence, head down in shame, as if he was a child who just broke a window with his baseball. He knew that no one would forgive him, but he wasn't here for redemption or to even be liked again, he wanted to find Emma…for Henry.

David's walkie-talkie suddenly buzzes to life.

"David we've got the cell tower."

David leaps up and races into the building at top speed, Neal following at his own pace behind him. David runs past the others before going back into the evidence room where Nova and Leroy are.

"Where… Where is it?" David pants, his body pumped full of adrenaline. His wife had been right; they would get the evidence they needed.

"Right here," Nova says, holding up a few pieces of paper. On one, there was a map with triangulated diagram, David knew immediately that this was the general area where Emma's phone had last sent signals.

"The records indicate that it came from a cell tower in the outer area of Boston," Nova says. "Around several suburban neighbourhoods."

"That's a lot of ground to cover," Leroy points out.

"Then we'd better get going," David says.

He assembles as many police officers as he can, including Jack and Nova and they plug the GPS location into the cars. David has to tell the rest of the gang to go home and wait. They had only been allowed to be in the station because David worked there, but since he was out, they would just get in the way. Henry's eyes lit up with hope and he hugs David before the lieutenant gets into one of the cruisers. The others mirror his new spark of hope, even Neal looked at least optimistic.

"I promise I'll bring her home soon," David says.

…

Nova sets out with the detectives and cadaver dogs as they comb through the neighbourhoods. The police had managed to find the cell tower and were searching the area.

David walked along the streets, asking any passerby's if they had noticed anything suspicious or if they had seen Emma at all.

They finally reach a smaller neighbourhood with older and less than well cared for homes. That's when the dogs get very excited and bolt to a house closer to the end of the street. David's heart is pounding loudly as he runs to keep up with the dogs. He has his gun drawn in case this gets violent.

The dogs come to a halt at the front door of a small two storey house, they barking wildly and paw at the door. There's yesterday's newspaper on the front stoop and the curtains are drawn across the windows.

"Secure the perimeter," David orders, not wanting anyone to escape.

David has a very bad feeling about this house and he has his gun at the ready. He knocks on the door and waits several minutes for an answer. He rings the door bell and knocks again, the dogs still going crazy, scratching at the door. He peers inside the windows, but cannot see very much, just a hallway leading to a kitchen. Several other police officers go around the house.

"Hey, Lieutenant?" Jack's voice comes over the radio.

"What is it?"

"We've got blood in the back hall."

One of the cadaver trainers comes up and the dog paws him the way she was trained to and whines. "Nyla can confirm that; she can smell blood in there."

"I'm breaking the door down," David warns.

David uses his boot and gives a good hard shove. After several attempts, the door practically comes off his hinges, opening forcefully with a large cracking sound. The lieutenant immediately rushes in and he can see the described blood on the floor. He prays that it's not Emma's and comes to the end of the hall, expecting an attacker, instead, he sees a woman with dirty blonde hair and a pale face lying next to the trail of blood that leads into the kitchen. David's stomach twists, thinking that this might be another one of the kidnapper's victims and she might be dead.

He rushes over, putting his gun in his belt and checking her pulse.

"Nova, call an ambulance, we've got an unconscious female who is bleeding but is still alive!"

 _Someone found Gwen. What will happen next? Please review and follow_


	31. Chapter 31

"Do you think that bitch knew what happened to Emma?" Ruby asks angrily.

The entire group is sitting in the emergency room, waiting for news about the woman who was found where Emma had been held.

Everyone was heart broken to hear from David that he found a potential witness, but not Emma. They had their hopes up that they would see their blonde friend or mother or girlfriend again, and instead were let down.

"Ruby don't say that," Mary Margret grumbles, holding her heavy stomach. "We don't know anything yet."

"The woman was pretty beat up," Elsa says. "I think she might have been a witness and had to be silenced."

David stands in the corner, going over evidence they found at the house. He too was disappointed about not catching the bastard who had abducted Emma, at least they had a potential witness. Plus the police were not too far off in terms of the lead; Emma had been in the house, according to the cadaver dogs, she'd been there recently. There were droplets of her blood on the floor and her scent was all over the basement. David's stomach twisted when he saw where Emma had been held. A cold and dark basement likely chained to the bed, put through some form of torture and likely rape according to the crime scene analysist. There were traces of semen found on the bed, but a lot of Emma's DNA, including strands of her blonde hair. David had almost wanted to hold onto the hairs as if it would connect him to Emma. Nova and Jack were still collecting evidence at the scene, taping it off and searching it from top to bottom. David had yet to tell the others about the crime scene findings, he knew that Henry would be very upset and Killian might be worse. If the implications of rape were true… he didn't want to think about what the docks man might do to the bastard, it there was anything left of him after he went through David first.

The unconscious woman had been brought to the hospital and stabilized. Apparently, as David spoke to the paramedics, she only had a bad head wound, the blood on the floor was likely not hers. There was a bloody screwdriver found upstairs in the bathroom and the woman had no puncture wounds. This was slightly relieving as David would not want their only lead to die. At the same time, he was worried that the blood was Emma's and that she may, in fact, be dead or bleeding out somewhere.

"I still say she knows where Emma is now," Ruby growls under her breath.

"How was she, David, when you found her?" Zelena asks.

"Well, she was breathing and she had a pulse. She was pale and motionless, but she still was alive. We'll know more when Dr. Whale comes out."

Dr. Whale was a well-known doctor in Boston, top of his craft and a skilled surgeon. He also had a degree in pediatrics and was helping Mary Margret through her pregnancy. David knew the man well and trusted that he would do what he could to help this woman.

Nova is doing research on the house in terms of the owners of the property and other important info, while Jack gathered as much forensic information as he could and interviewed the neighbours for any leads.

If David was honest, he didn't agree with Ruby. This poor woman was locked in the house, unconscious and possibly bleeding and whoever was with her left her there. She did look like a victim, but looks could be deceiving. David had to keep an open mind when he interviewed her.

Suddenly, Dr. Whale walks through the door, David turns to face him.

"How is she?" David asks, everyone else leans forward for information.

"She should be fine. She received a nasty conk on the head and a few bruises, but other than that, she's fine."

"Can we talk to her?"

"Not yet," Whale says. "I'm running a few tests. For some reason, she's completely out of it, out cold and won't respond to anything. It's not a coma, but it's not the kind of unconscious state that would come from a head injury. We're going to test her blood to see if there is any drugs or alcohol in the system."

"Well, please let us know the moment we can interview her," David says sternly.

"I will Officer Nolan, I promise. Hello Mary Margret, how are you and the baby?"

"Alright Dr. Whale," Mary Margret says as nicely as she can.

"Taking it easy I hope,"

"Yes."

"Alright," Dr. Whale says. "I'll let you know when she's awake."

"Thank you, doctor," David says before sitting down next to his wife.

Suddenly, through the door comes Robin Locksley, he looks very pale and sweaty.

"Robin, what are you doing here mate?" Killian asks.

"I heard there was a break in the case."

"More like a halt," Ruby groans.

"Did they find Emma?"

"No…" Henry says swallowing hard. He was fighting to keep his sadness and disappointment down. He'd cry out his disappointment later in the privacy in his room.

Robin looks sympathetically at Henry. "I'm sorry to hear that," His blue eyes dart over to Regina's face for a moment, before focusing back on Henry.

"But apparently, the crime scene is filled with evidence, Emma was there…" Anna says in a more optimistic voice.

"Key word **_was_**!" Ruby grumbles.

"Ruby if you're going to be a problem, go get me a coffee," Zelena barks. "I'm tired of your bitching."

"Fine, even though hospital coffee sucks," Ruby says indignantly before heading off.

Robin swallows and takes a seat down across from Regina. Regina does her best not to look at his ruggedly handsome face and hide her blushing cheeks.

"So Robin," Zelena says, trying to break the silence. "How was archery training today?"

"It was fine," Robin shrugs.

"How did you know he was training today?" Regina asks suddenly.

"Robin and I got to know each other during the search on Saturday, I've been keeping him updated on the case and we just casually chat while we're at it," Zelena says, trying to hide the satisfied smile on her face.

Regina takes an immediate hatred to Zelena's words. She felt that Zelena could somehow sense Regina's feelings for Robin. Were they feelings? Regina wasn't sure yet, but she hadn't had the time to get to know Robin properly. The Marian thing was also confusing and a little off-putting. Regina felt an angry feeling in the pit of her stomach, Zelena might be doing this on purpose.

Zelena and Regina were half -sisters. They shared a mother, but Zelena was always seemingly tossed to the side, so to speak. Zelena had been conceived during a drunken one-night stand with a total stranger that her mother had just met. The red-headed child was resented quite a lot because she was a child her mother did not want and Cora Mills was a career woman. She worked hard to give herself the best life and Zelena was not part of that plan. Cora did keep Zelena, but she didn't pay much attention to her. Regina came several years afterward when Cora had married a rich man and had settled down. Regina was spoiled rotten and got all the attention that Zelena wanted.

The two sisters grew to hate each other and their mother as well because even though Regina got the attention, she was always pressured by her mother to be successful at everything that she did. The stress made Regina want to rebel and that was partly the reason she got into that car accident that prevented her from having children.

Regina had been secretly dating a boy named Daniel, who Cora did not approve of. Ironically, Regina actually wanted to be ignored like Zelena so she could date Daniel. Daniel was a sweet boy, a musician and a poet at heart. The problem was, he didn't have high ambitions and was from a lower-class family and Cora, therefore, hated him.

It was a Saturday night and Regina had snuck out to go driving with Daniel. They went to the countryside, got themselves drunk on liquor that Zelena gave to her and when they were joyriding, they got into a horrible car accident. Daniel died instantly and Regina was injured to the point where she had to have several surgeries, ruining her chances to have children and lead a normal life.

When Cora found out that Zelena had stolen her liquor and given it to Regina, Zelena was basically disowned, which didn't bother the red-head too much as she moved out and never looked back. The hatred of the sisters was complete. When Regina moved out too, neither girl wanted anything to do with their mother, even though they went on to lead successful careers.

Through some bizarre twist of fate, Regina and Zelena ended up being friends with a lot of the same people and even though they were on speaking terms, all was not peaceful in paradise.

Zelena still thought Regina got everything she wanted, even though she had two failed marriages, while Zelena had always been single. She also blamed Regina for telling her mother that she stole the liquor which indirectly caused the car accident. Regina still blamed Zelena for Daniel's death, even though she had made the choice to drink and drive and the sisters were never going to change.

Now, with Regina's attraction to Robin, Zelena felt that she was entitled to him and was doing her best to lure him away from her sister. Zelena wanted her turn for a relationship and she wasn't going to let her spoiled sister get in the way.

While Regina and Robin tried to talk a little bit, Zelena always cut in and had the conversation focus on her and making stupid flirtations at Robin the whole time Everyone else just looked on, lost in their own thoughts and worries, while Regina fumed over her wicked half-sister.

Ruby comes back with coffee and hands one to Zelena.

What she said next made Regina feel a little better.

Ruby whispers to her, "I spit in her coffee."

…

Several hours go by before Dr. Whale comes back, David stands up in anticipation. "How is she Dr. Whale?"

"She's slowly waking up, but I recommend taking another hour or so before talking to her."

"Do you know why she was so out of it?" Elsa asks.

"Well, the tests conclude that she had a heavy sedative injected into her system, which explains her state. She was injected with it approximately a day and a half ago. The sedative is meant to last for two days or more, depending on the dosage, but we've given her something to counteract it. She's awake and very confused. I'm going to get her re-hydrated and fed before you go in to question her."

"Alright," David says, biting his lip. He needed to find Emma soon and this woman was the key to it.

An hour later, Dr. Whale lets David into the room.

Gwen sits up in the bed connected up to a heart monitor and an IV to help her body regain her fluids. She has a bandage taped to the back of her head and a few stitches in places. She feels so confused but happy to be free from Arthur's madness.

When she sees David in his uniform, she seems confused at first, but then her face becomes very serious.

"You're Gwendolyn King correct?"

"Yes, have you found Arthur yet?" she asks.

"Who's Arthur?"

"My husband, he's the one who kidnapped that Emma Swan girl,"

David nearly falls over in shock and some relief. He pulls up a chair next to the woman's bed, ready to talk to her.

"Mrs. King, did you have anything to do with Emma Swan's kidnapping?"

"No…" Gwen says, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Have you caught him yet? He still had her…"

"No," David grimaces. "We haven't found him yet, and that is where I hoped you could help me."

"I-I can't," Gwen says. "I don't know where he went. Tell me are my children okay?"

"Your children?"

"Are they with a relative? Did they find me at home?"

"Mrs. King, there were no children in your house, in fact, no one had been in the house for over a day."

Gwen puts her hands to her mouth and begins to weep at the realization. Arthur took the children and this Emma girl and took off. Her beloved babies were in the hands of a monster.

"Mrs. King, can you please tell us what happened and how you ended up on the floor and maybe we can catch this man and rescue Miss Swan."

"And my children," Gwen adds.

"I'll add that to his charges now can you please tell me what happened."

 _A backstory for Zelena and Gwen is going to tell David what happened. Please keep reviewing and following._


	32. Chapter 32

"Nova, it's David," David radios in. he's still in Gwen's hospital room and in order to get her to talk, he's putting out a search for her children.

"What's up?"

"We might have more kidnap victims,"

"You mean the kids?"

"How did you know?"

"There are toys all over the house so I assumed that they have children."

"A girl and a boy," Gwen says. "Megan and Ben."

"Megan and Ben," David parrots to Nova.

"They're eight and four years old and my husband Arthur Julius King has them. He also has Emma."

Gwen gives them a description of the car and its license plate, she cries through some of it.

"I'll get an AMBER Alert out for them immediately," Nova says.

"Thank you," Gwen says.

Dr. Whale comes in to check all of Gwen's vitals before he allows David and Jack, who drove over once Gwen was awake to help David with the interview.

"So Mrs. King,"

"Please call me Gwen," she insists.

"Alright Gwen, please tell me everything that you can remember," David says. Jack has set up a tape recorder instead of a video to give Gwen a little bit of privacy as she recovers.

"What's the date today?' Gwen asks.

"The 1st of October."

"Oh god, I was out for so long, he likely got far away with the kids," she whimpers.

"Gwen, do you remember when Emma Swan was kidnapped?"

"Yes, there was a segment on the news about it and how her friends and son were interviewed. I was… watching it with him… not knowing she was right in our basement the whole time."

Gwen begins to cry even harder. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, I didn't know my husband was such a monster and he would do this to a mother," she says between sobs.

"It's alright," David says gently. He hands her a box of tissues. "You are not a suspect Gwen."

"But you are a key witness if we're going to find Emma and your children. We need you to give us everything that you know," Jack says.

Gwen wipes her eyes and blows her nose, composing herself as best she can. She re-adjusts her arm with the IV in it and then faces David again, looking into his blue eyes.

"Did you notice something was off about your husband the night of the September 15th?"

"No, I was away all weekend with my children at my parents' house. What day was it that she was abducted?"

"A Friday night, September 15th."

"Okay," Gwen says recalling the date more than two weeks ago. "We had left him at about 6:00 that night and so he must've gone to a bar and found her,"

"Okay," David prompts.

"We only called him once on the Saturday night when the kids wanted to say good night."

"Did he sound any different?"

"No, he was the same as he always was. So we came back on Sunday afternoon and I noticed that the basement door had a padlock. I asked him about it and he said that he was doing a new scaffolding project with his friend, Gerry…"

"Sorry to interrupt but would Gerry have known about this?" Jack asks.

Gwen shakes her head. "I doubt it, Arthur doesn't have many friends and he doesn't really talk to them that much anyways."

"Keep going," David says.

"So he told me that the furnace was making noises and he was going to fix them. He told me he locked the basement to keep the kids away from the construction…" Gwen tears up again. "I realize now that he was just covering up the noises Emma was making… calling for help and it was his excuse to g-go down there and…"

Gwen winces and swallows hard. "Just tell me the truth, D-did he rape her?"

Jack swallows himself, not really sure if he should answer. "There has been some evidence suggesting it yes,"

Gwen puts her hand over her mouth and sobs into it for a few more minutes. David and Jack wait patiently, allowing the poor woman to come to grips with this horrible reality. Imagine being married to someone that you don't even know anymore. Someone you thought was kind and sweet and turned out to be a monster and a rapist.

"O-Over the next few days, I did hear noises once and a while… but I believed what Arthur told me…"

Gwen feels mortified, so embarrassed about how easily she was fooled into believing her husband. She should've broken into the basement sooner and maybe she could've helped the poor woman and freed her from being in the dark and cold prison.

"I-I did notice a change in his behaviour, at least a little bit. He was quieter than usual and he did go to the basement more often, but they were short trips, not enough to do any serious work and he brought food down there… b-but I assumed it was for him."

David feels a little relief hearing that at least Arthur had some humanity to feed Emma.

"He was coming up late every night…" Gwen weeps. _If I had only been more suspicious…_

"Don't blame yourself, Gwen, you trusted him because he was your husband…" Jack says sympathetically.

"He played me for a fool!" Gwen mutters loudly, her face red with embarrassment.

"What happened on September 29th," David asks.

"I had the day off," Gwen says. "I was washing dishes and Arthur said he was going to meet Gerry. I asked him if he wanted to… have intercourse and he turned me down, which was very unusual…"

"How so?" Jack asks.

Gwen swallows. "Arthur has…unusual habits in the bedroom and with his bad temper, he liked rough intercourse. I was usually the one to turn him down for my own safety…" Gwen pauses before continuing. "I kept thinking about whatever was in the basement had changed him and ruined the man I used to know… So I waited until her left, I went to the garage, got a screwdriver and picked the lock."

"Then what happened?"

"I saw a thin, pale, young, blonde woman on the stairs holding an ax up like she was about to break the door down."

"Emma," David breathes.

"Yes, I think she managed to escape somehow and was planning to break the door down when I opened it."

"What happened?"

"She asked who I was and then Arthur came back, why I'm not sure, but she and I were so shocked that we let precious time pass… It was a few minutes before I realized who she was. Emma dropped the ax down the stairs. She also had a gun with her. I think she was planning to get out any way she could."

David feels a swell of pride knowing that Emma would never let herself be the victim for long. She is a fighter; she always has been and she wouldn't let some monster take advantage of her for too long.

"Arthur came in and Emma warned him off with the gun. He was so angry that it paralyzed me. Emma was trying to get by to be free. She told Arthur that I unintentionally helped her, but she was going to leave. I tried to make him let her go but… his face was terrifying. I asked him why he did this, he came toward me and I couldn't move. Emma then stepped in to protect me, telling us she was a bail bonds person and she'd protect me if she had to. She then told me the reason he had kidnapped her, he wanted to get her pregnant."

David's heart drops to stomach at this phrase. The thought of a man raping Emma was revolting, but to get her pregnant. He had to stand up for a few minutes and walk around to calm himself before he broke something. Jack takes David's place to continue.

"Then what?"

"Then Emma called him insane and he attacked her. He started to strangle her!" Gwen begins to tear up again. David sucks in a sharp breath of anger from across the room.

"I-I was so afraid of him and the monster that he'd become. Somehow, I found the strength within me. I grabbed the screwdriver and I stabbed him. He let go of Emma, she looked so still. I confronted him and then he attacked me. He pinned me against a wall, then he bashed my head against it and everything went black."

"Is that everything?" Jack asks.

Gwen nods and cries a little bit more. "I-I'm so sorry if I'd intervened sooner…"

"It's alright Gwen," Jack says gently. He puts a hand on her shaking shoulders as she continued to cry.

Clearly, this woman is a battered wife, scared of the man she'd fallen in love with and had become entangled in the web of lies he'd woven. She had found the strength to stop Arthur from killing Emma, at least, they hoped so…

"I was a coward, I'm so sorry,"

Gwen felt overwhelming guilt. Had she just been a little more suspicious and little less trusting, she could've prevented all of this. Arthur would be in jail, Emma with her family and her children with her. She cries even harder for her children.

Jack reassures her that they would find her children and then ends the interview there to give her some space. He signals for David to leave and allows Gwen can lie back, to have Dr. Whale look at her, rest a little bit and cry as much as she needed.

As soon as Jack closes the door to Gwen's hospital room, he sees that David is also crying. His face is bright red, most likely in anger and he looks as if he's going to put his fist through the wall.

"That monster…" David growls. "That f****** monster. When I get my hands on him…!"

"We'll find her David," Jack says as confidently as he can. "Before he can do anything to her and the children."

David continues to grimace and just takes in aggressive breaths.

"Go take a walk, take your wife with you, you need to cool off. Just don't say anything to her or anyone else. We don't need to make this worse than it already is."

"Alright," David says, composing himself enough to continue down the hospital hallway.

Little did either of them know, that a certain waitress with dyed red hair had been listening in to the entire interview and ducked down a back hallway when the officers came out.

Ruby walks from her hiding spot and goes towards Gwendolyn's hospital room. She stops at the door. She'd heard the woman's entire confession and… Ruby had to believe her. At least the woman didn't just stand by and let the man kill Emma. She was strong enough to fight. She didn't help kidnap her friend, she was just as much a victim as Emma was.

Ruby wants to go in and thank the woman for trying to help Emma and giving them key evidence, but she decides against it. The poor woman had been through enough right now. The thank you could wait.

She shoves her hands in her pockets as she goes down the hall. With all the information, she has, she knows everyone will want to know what happened. It was the whole reason she'd snuck away in the first place, but… Killian and Henry keep crossing her mind. How would Killian react to the idea that this bastard was raping Emma to knock her up? And Henry? He shouldn't be exposed to the idea of his mother being held hostage, raped, and strangled. The kid might never be the same.

Ruby stops at the door to the waiting room, unsure what she was going to do, She felt at a crossroads of what she should tell everyone.

 _What do you guys think Ruby should do?_


	33. Chapter 33

Arthur wakes up the following morning on the couch to hear the TV on in the other room. He had the map laying on his chest, having fallen asleep over his planning. He grimaces as the sharp pain of his shoulder comes back to him… where his wife had stabbed him.

He decides to go check on the wound in the bathroom. He removes the bandages in front of the mirror, wincing as it's like peeling off a layer of skin. The wound looks no different from the day before, there is still some blood and a little bit of oozing. It also feels hot and sensitive to the touch. Gwen sure got him good. He cleans the wound again as best he can before applying a fresh bandage.

Arthur goes into the other room to see Megan and Ben sitting watching TV.

"Morning Daddy," Megan says, rushing over to hug her father.

"Morning Baby girl,"

"Why is all your hair gone?"

"I felt like it was time for a change,"

"I don't like it," Ben says firmly. "You look like Lex Luther."

"It's okay buddy, I'm not Lex Luther. I'm not a bad guy. Are you ready for an adventure."

"And the water park?" Ben asks eagerly.

"And the water park," Arthur nods. "But let's get ourselves cleaned up and have breakfast before we go."

Arthur has his kids shower and changes into clean clothes before they check out of the motel. They eat at the same diner as before and get some snacks for the road. Arthur also asks for information about water parks in the state. Once the kids are in the car and distracted, Arthur opens the trunk.

Emma lies in the trunk, still unconscious, bound and gagged like before. The ice pack he'd given her had long since become warm, so he tossed it into a nearby bush. Arthur checks her pulse and breathing. He hopes she doesn't wake up just yet, he must find a place for him and the kids to stay, a place where he can hide Emma.

Arthur then starts the car up, a large lump in his throat, so nervous about what will happen next. He checks the map of Connecticut and pulls out onto the main highway.

He turns the radio on and continues to think about what he's going to next. Sooner or later, someone was going to find Gwen and she would tell them everything. He knew he couldn't be on the road for too long, especially with the kids and Emma… She would likely wake up soon and make a racket. How would he explain this to his children, that he had kidnapped a woman to give them a sibling and that he beat their mother up to allow him to escape? Technically, the children were kidnapped as well and the police would ramp up their investigation to bring them home. He had to find a new city to live in, a new place which was far away from the prying eyes of the law and basically starts his life over again, with a new identity and everything.

 _How the hell did identity thieves or criminals manage this?_ He wonders. _Keep their identities straight and become someone completely different._

Plus, identities for the kids… It all seems overwhelming. Who would've thought that going on the run would be so stressful and complicated? All those criminal heist movies were wrong, it will not be easy to become someone else and hide kidnapped victims.

…

A few hours later, Arthur sees a sign for an indoor water park and resort. Immediately, the kids become excited and begin squealing and shouting with delight. Arthur turns off one of the interstates and pulls into the resort parking lot. The kids are already out of their car seats by the time Arthur parks the vehicle, furthest away from the building.

Arthur grabs the bags from the trunk, checking on Emma, before following his children who are already waiting at the door for him.

"Welcome to William's Indoor Water Park and Resort, fun for the whole family," the receptionist at the blue coloured desk says with a smile. The entire place is decorated like it's supposed to be underwater, with starfish and fish taped to the walls, blue shimmering lights in the background and under the sea artwork. It looks like a fun place for the kids to go and there is a large aquarium that Megan and Ben stare at in wonder while Arthur checks them in.

"Hello," Arthur says as casually as possible.

"How many nights are we staying sir?"

"Two," Arthur answers.

"Number of adults and children?"

"One adult, two children."

"Any particular room in mind? Would you like our Deluxe suite?"

"No thank you, whatever is your cheapest," Arthur says. He leans in so his children won't hear. "We're a fixed budget for this trip."

"Understood sir, our cheapest is 350 dollars a night."

"That'll be okay," Arthur says. It's not his money anyways.

"How would you like to pay?"

"Debit please," Arthur says, he takes out his wife's credit card and taps it over the machine.

"Thank you very much," the receptionist says with a smile. "Here are your wristbands to allow you to get into the park and the arcade. You're room 217 on the second floor. Enjoy your stay."

Arthur takes the wristbands and room key from the woman and the three of them take the elevator to the second floor. Arthur finds their room and opens it. It's quite a small room, with two double beds, a bathroom and small lounge area with a TV.

Arthur places the bags on one of the beds and the kids go after their swim suits.

"I want to go on every slide!" Ben says in excitement.

"What about you Daddy, will you come with us?" Megan asks

"Not this time Baby Girl, I forgot my suit. This trip is for you and only you. You don't want me to slow you down."

The kids get ready and Arthur takes them down to the water park.

It's hot, humid and smells of chlorine, but the kids don't seem to mind, they look up at all the water slides. Some have special rafts that you must ride in, and others you just go down by yourself. There's one that looks like a giant toilet bowl and one that has so many turns, it might make someone sick. There are kiddie sized slides, different spouts that squirted water on the little ones from the ground. There was a play large structure with all sorts of climbing equipment and a giant bucket that dumped gallons of water on the screaming children. There was even a hot tub for the adults and an area with lounge chairs where many parents just sat back and watched their children run around.

Arthur makes his way to a lounge chair.

"This is home base okay guys?" Arthur says to his children. He places the towels on the chair. "I'll be here okay?"

"Okay Daddy," the two both say at the same time.

"Now go have fun."

The kids scream in delight and run off to have fun.

Arthur sits back awkwardly with his sore shoulder and ponders his plans once more. He watches his children run around, trying not to get dumped on by the giant bucket and waiting in line for several of the smaller slides.

 _You've certainly dug yourself a grave haven't you Arthur?_ His conscious says firmly. _In no time, the police will be looking for you and your children and you cannot force your children to change their appearances or give them new names. You can't trust them to keep quiet for very long, especially if they find out about Emma…_ _I need some place far away from where I can make sure Emma has a baby… Like a cabin in the woods or on an island._ _You cannot force your children to endure that,_ his conscious says. _It'll make you into more of a monster than you already are. You are holding a woman against her will after all._

Arthur sighs heavily. Tears come to his eyes briefly as Megan holds Ben's hand and pulls him over to a spout. He's a man of few values and with little money of his own, he couldn't take care of his children, let alone himself. Plus, if Emma does get pregnant, he'll have to care for her too. If he wants a healthy child, he'll have to make sure she eats three times a day and gets some form of exercise. Then there are medical expenses that will come from this baby… Without a social security number… and his wife's credit cards can be traced easily too… What will happen after the baby is born? Is he going to let her go? If he does, he'll never get to see his children again.

 _I'm caught between a rock and a very hard place_ , Arthur sighs and he tears up again. _I'll have to give my children back_ … he sighs to himself again. _They don't deserve to be locked away and forced to wait until the baby's born. They need stability, they need a good life, not one on the run… I still want to have a couple more days with them. I deserve that much._

Arthur lays back and tries to rest for a little while, his shoulder aching every so often. Megan and Ben play all morning and well into the afternoon. They make new friends and eat snacks at the snack bar. They swim until they're so tired, they can barely keep their eyes open.

Arthur takes his children to a restaurant afterward and then takes them upstairs. Instead of having them fall asleep in front of the TV, he reads them a few books that he brought. He does his best not to cry, thinking that this maybe the last time he ever gets to read with them. The two children fall asleep, curled up with one another.

…

The following day is very eventful. Arthur takes the kids to the arcade and for another round at the water park. The smiles on his children's faces are worth every minute of it. While the kids are in the water park again, Arthur goes to check on Emma.

…

Emma feels very groggy and she can't breathe very well. Her mouth is very dry and she can't feel most of her body. Her throat is aching very heavily in pain and her head is throbbing as well. It takes all her strength not to be sick. Her head is lying on something soft and she feels a blanket over her, keeping in some form of warmth. There is an air of cold around her, making her shiver.

She doesn't know where she is. For a few sweet seconds, she thought that she managed to escape and her head hurts so much that she can't fully recall what happened to her. There is the memory of that woman… Gwen and how shocked she looked. Emma had a gun with her and an ax and then the man came. She remembers the unbearable pain and suffocating… then darkness.

She tries to open her eyes but all she sees is darkness. She tries to move her body and finds that her hands and legs have been bound. Emma's hope that she'd escaped fades very quickly as she tries to move around or break her bounds. She feels the texture and realizes that it's duct tape, thick and sticky, it will be harder to cut through. Emma tries to spit out whatever is in her mouth, it feels like cloth. Her mouth attempts to make some saliva as she tries to feel around her environment. Immediately, her feet hit the end of the trunk, however, she doesn't know that yet. She feels objects all around her and there are muffled sounds coming from outside of whatever she is in. Emma at first assumes that it is a box, but as she moves a little more, the entire car shakes. The problem is, she's doing this almost completely blind.

Suddenly, footsteps can be heard, someone coming towards… whatever it is. Emma does her best to try and be ready to fight, but with her body almost completely immobilized, she can't do very much.

There is a loud thunk and the sound of hinges being moved upwards. The noises that were muffled suddenly become clearer, it's the sounds of cars.

"I see you're awake," a voice that Emma was dreading to hear says.

"Where am I?" Emma asks.

"Not something to be concerned about," he answers.

"Why didn't you just let me go?" Emma says angrily. She then begins to shout out, despite how scratchy her voice is.

Emma feels a hand go over her mouth.

"You scream again and I'll end you," he hisses in her ear. This sends a shiver up Emma's spine.

"You'd better drink something," he says. Arthur opens the bottle, grabs a straw and forces it into Emma's mouth.

Emma nearly chokes and starts gagging loudly.

"You'd better drink, or you'll die of thirst," Arthur says.

Emma doesn't want to drink in case it's poisoned or drugged or something, but her stomach growls loudly and her throat begs for some fluids. Emma leans forward and drinks.

"You'd better drink the whole thing," the man says. "It might be awhile before you get something again."

Emma doesn't answer, but just drinks to get her strength back up. Once the bottle is empty, she tries to move or do something to attack this man, but he has the advantage with having his limbs free. He presses her deeper into the trunk, despite Emma squirming to get out.

Arthur then opens the bag of beef jerky and offers it to Emma. She tries to turn away.

"You'd better eat it if you want to keep your strength up," he says.

Emma reluctantly begins to eat what he holds in front of her mouth. The jerky is bland and pretty much tasteless, but it's food. Arthur also holds an apple in her mouth for her to eat.

Once she's relatively full, Emma feels something being shoved into her mouth. More cloth, she tries to fight it by squirming and spitting it out, but then something is placed on her face to keep the cloth there… more duct tape.

Emma still tries to scream out, but Arthur hits her with the taser, wraps her in the blanket, puts the pillow back under her head and locks the trunk again.

Emma has never felt so helpless. She's lost control of her body as in convulses, but her bonds hold strong as this happens. She can't make any noise and her limbs are taped together. She's been blindfolded and locked in the trunk of a car…. Emma feels so useless and powerless, the only thing she can do is cry. She cries until her body wears herself out enough to go to sleep.

…

Arthur tucks his children in for the night. With Emma awake, it'll be harder to hide her from the kids, but with the car moving, they probably won't notice, at least not for a while. He stares at his children for a long while and cries silently, knowing what will happen. He wants to memorize their beautiful faces before he sends them back to their mother. Spend what precious time they had left together, making some good memories before everything would go bad.

Arthur goes into the lounge area of their hotel room and looks at the map again, deciding to go on more of a road trip, to see the capital city of Connecticut and maybe do a few tourist activities for the kids, but eventually, he'll have to leave them somewhere and call his wife or the police to come pick them up. When they do, he'll have to be long gone. Then he'll have to find a place to live, he'll also have to keep giving Emma food. Hopefully, she'll be pregnant soon and he can finally put things into action.

Hopefully...

 _Here's Chapter 33. Thank you for all the comments. It really helps me out._


	34. Chapter 34

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Elsa asks.

She's walking like a zombie, gasping for air because of the large lump in her throat. She walks back into the hospital waiting room where everyone, minus Mary Margret, David, and Jack, are still waiting for any type of news.

"Ruby!" Elsa says.

Ruby just sits down in a nearby chair.

"EARTH TO RUBY!" Zelena shouts.

Ruby blinks and looks at all her friends staring at her. She forces herself to smile.

"Don't yell in a hospital Zelena," Regina says sternly.

"Don't tell me what to do Regina," the red-head shouts. Regina gets up from her chair to face her unpleasant sister.

"I'm trying to be considerate to the sick people around us,"

"You're never considerate of anyone but yourself, you little brat," Zelena snaps back.

"Both of you shut up!" Elsa barks.

Everyone looks at Elsa in shock. Even Anna was surprised, as her sister hardly ever raised her voice at anyone. "We are in a hospital for god's sake. I can't believe you two! I can never understand why you just can't be civil? I know you're sisters and you don't like each other, but consider what's happened. Our friend is in grave danger and all you can think about is yourselves and your petty lives. For god's sake, think about Emma and that poor woman David found, she was drugged and unconscious by the man who abducted and could very well kill Emma."

Elsa then turns on her heels and exits the room in a huff.

Everyone is left stunned by Elsa's words; she spoke the truth; Emma was much more at risk of being hurt by someone than a cat fight between sisters. Regina sighs and sits down again. A nurse gives them all a warning glance about the noise.

Henry turns to Ruby and whispers to her.

"What did you hear?"

"I don't know what you mean," Ruby says, trying to look away.

"You're a terrible liar Lass," Killian says sternly. He too wanted to know everything.

"We know you snuck away to listen," Henry says.

"And what I might've heard doesn't concern you," Ruby says. "If I did hear something, which I didn't, I wouldn't tell you. I got lost on the way to the bathroom."

"A very bad liar," the docks mans says.

Ruby turns away to avoid both their eyes and says nothing more.

"She's my mother for god's sake!" Henry says.

"And the woman I care about," Killian adds. "We have a right to know."

Ruby swallows and shakes her head. "I can't do it," she says. "It'll ruin your lives and keep you up at night."

"More than it's already doing so," Killian says. "Tell us, Ruby."

Ruby shakes her head and gets up. "I can't, I'm sorry."She leaves the room, not likely to come back.

Henry feels very frustrated and he smacks his hand on the armrest.

"Don't get mad just yet Lad," Killian says. "If she won't tell us, we'll have to get it from the source."

The two look down the hall to where David, Jack, and Ruby had come from.

…

It's another hour before Killian and Henry attempt to get into the woman's room. They want answers and if this woman knows where Emma is, they want her to tell them.

The two slip down the hallway, acting as casually as they can, passing doctors with clipboards and nurses with medical equipment all in a hurry to get places.

Killian reaches the end of the hall where a series of hospital rooms are. He peers into one, but it's an old man eating some jello. Killian's face distorts in disgust, he never really liked jello, especially the way it moved and often the taste was too strong for him. He shakes his head at Henry, telling him to move on. The next one, a young child is playing cards with her family. She looks pale and frail, with a scarf around her head to hide her baldness. Clearly, the young girl was going through chemotherapy and Henry's stomach turns in guilt for intruding on her time with her family. The third room there is a woman staring out the window, laying back on her bed as if she might go to sleep soon.

"She might be the one," Killian says.

"There's only one way to find out," Henry says. He knocks on the door.

"Doctor Whale?" she asks loudly.

Henry opens the door enough to poke his head in.

"No, it's uh…"

"You must be Emma Swan's son," the woman finishes.

Henry is taken aback but continues into the room.

"Uh yeah, how do you know me?"

"I saw you on TV," the woman says. Henry can see that she's slightly frail, with her face very pale in colour, her eyes bloodshot and she's hooked up to several IVs. She looks very sad and uncomfortable and Henry now feels bad about trying to get information from her.

"You must be here about your mother," Gwen says gently. She tries to keep her emotions in check.

"Yes," Henry says.

"Come in and sit down."

The teenager takes reluctant steps into the room. Gwen then notices the dark-haired man behind the boy. "Who's he?"

"I'm Emma's boyfriend," Killian answers, staying in the doorway.

"He must be your father then, oh, of course, come in."

"I'm not exactly his father," Killian says.

Gwen frowns in confusion.

"My mom split up from dad a little while ago and…" Henry tries to explain his complicated family situation.

"Actually, it was more like the other way around," Killian corrects.

"Regardless, you both deserve answers, come in and sit down," Gwen says, nodding towards the chairs in the room, one that was already positioned by her bed. Henry takes the one David sat in and Killian grabs one from the corner of the room.

Once both men are facing her, Gwen begins to tear up.

"P-please forgive me…" she says quietly. "I had no idea what my husband was doing."

"So it was your husband who grabbed Emma?" Killian asks.

Gwen nods. "He had her locked in the basement and he locked the door to it to make sure no one went down there. He lied to me saying he was working on a construction project and I believed him… Please forgive me."

"We know you didn't do it," Henry says, trying to sound sympathetic. He has mixed feelings about this woman, maybe she's just a really good actor, but if she was drugged and knocked unconscious by this man like the doctor said, she could be more of a victim than his mom was.

"I'm still sorry."

"What was he doing to her down there…"

Gwen breaks down into tears, but she keeps her eyes on the two men. She can't bring herself to tell them. What horrible torture their beloved Emma must have gone through and likely is still going through. She especially doesn't want to say it in front of her son.

"I-I can't say it…" Gwen says.

"W-Was it…?" Henry swallows. He wasn't stupid, he'd seen crime shows before and knew what kidnappers liked to do to female victims. His mind flashes with horrible and disturbing images and his stomach twists violently. Henry keeps his head down.

Gwen just nods quickly.

Killian, on the other hand, is very angry, his ears turn red and his hands clench into fists. He grinds his teeth together and it takes every ounce of strength in him not to run out of the room in search of this monster. Killian would give that man something to cry about.

"He was keeping her prisoner down there and hiding it from me and my children. I saw the segment on the news but I never thought that my husband would do something so awful to a mother…I'm so sorry to both of you that it took me so long to realize something was suspicious, but I picked the lock the other day and I found… your mother holding an axe up. I realized that she was about to break the door down. She must've gotten free and was trying to escape. She had a gun and everything but…" Gwen closes her eyes and cries a little harder, tears staining her face. Now everyone in the room was crying out of sheer emotion. "A-Arthur came home at that moment and Emma was trying to leave, holding him at gunpoint. I asked him why he did it and she told me that he wanted to get her pregnant…"

That causes Killian to stand up and leave the room in anger... Maybe not anger, but full embrittled rage. Henry wants to go and follow him, but he also wants to know what happened.

"T-then?" Henry swallows.

"You mother called him insane, and she missed him with her gun. T-then he tried to strangle her. I finally came to my senses and jumped into action. I stabbed him and he let go of your mother. Then he attacked me and I blacked out. The next thing I remember was waking up in a hospital, being told that I was drugged and that my husband, your mother and my children were missing... I'm so sorry…"

Gwen breaks down into uncontrollable sobs. Henry too begins to cry very hard. Gwen reaches over and grabs Henry's hand firmly. She looks at him with her eyes, her sad and desperate eyes.

"I'm so, so sorry," she weeps. "I wasn't strong enough to stop him and save your mother."

Henry just nods and both continue crying in pain. They seem to be almost holding each other up in a way, both victims and both having people that they loved in the hands of a monster. A monster named Arthur King.

…

After a long and hard crying session, both Henry and Gwen compose themselves enough to look at one another again.

"I'm so sorry uh…"

"Henry,"

"Henry, I have a cousin named Henry," she says with a weak smile.

Henry does his best to return the small gesture,

"Th-Thank you for telling me," Henry says quietly.

"You deserved to know that your mother is a fight and that she's still alive…"

"Just not safe," Henry finishes.

Gwen nods affirmingly. "You'd better go find your friend."

"Killian?" Henry offers.

"Yes, go find him before he does something he'll regret. He's not the only one who is very repulsed by my husband's intentions. That Officer Nolan was very upset too."

"He and my mom work together and he's like her big brother."

"Obviously, it's good to know that she is loved," Gwen says optimistically, but in a very weak tone.

Henry nods. He leans forward and hugs the woman

"Thank you," he says.

"What for? I didn't save your mom?"

"You gave me answers… at least that's something," Henry says, matching Gwen's level of optimism.

"I have faith that Officer Nolan will find her soon. She's a fighter."

"She has to be," Henry says, getting up from his chair. "She's my mom."

 _Do you think that Killian will do something stupid? Please keep reviewing and thank you._


	35. Chapter 35

Henry walks out into the waiting room.

"Has anyone seen Killian?" he asks.

Aurora looks up from the book she's reading.

"He went out that way," she points out the door. "He was very angry. What did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything, it was the woman, Gwen."

"Don't tell me you…" Ruby says.

"She told me everything that happened,"

"Oh god Henry," Ruby groans angrily. "There was a reason I stayed quiet about this."

"Why? What happened?" Anna asks.

Ruby swallows hard. She looks at Henry in concern.

"Tell them, Ruby," Henry says. Ruby shakes her head. "Tell them or I will."

Ruby sighs. "The bastard's name is Arthur King and… the reason he has Emma is that he's trying to get her pregnant."

Everyone in the group goes quiet. The colour drains from Anna's, Aurora's, MeyLing's, Regina's and Zelena's face. Ruby turns as red as her hair, embarrassed and stressed out by what she revealed. Henry swallows.

"And Killian heard this?" MeyLing asks.

"That's all he needed to hear," Henry says.

"Well, we have to go find him before he does something stupid!" Regina says, standing up.

"Or at the very least gets himself or Emma killed," Zelena adds.

Regina shoots her sister a look, but they both are reminded of what Elsa said earlier and drop it. Everyone gets up and exits the hospital.

Once they're in the bright sunlight of the afternoon and the wind picks up, they look both ways.

"Which way do you think he went?" Aurora asks.

Ruby looks in the direction of where most of them had parked once the news of the witness had been shared. She could see her red Corvette, Aurora's dark blue van, Zelena's green Porsche, Regina's black BMW, Elsa's blue convertible, but not Killian's black SUV.

"Shit!" Ruby says, grinding her teeth together. She fumbles with her phone to dial David's number.

"What's up, Ruby?"

"David where are you?"

"I'm at the park down the street with Mary Margret. Why?"

"Killian's run off."

"What? Why? How?"

"Henry and Killian visited the witness in her room and found out the guy was trying to get Emma pregnant."

"Oh my God, Wait, how do you know that?"

"Not important David! We need to find Killian before he does something that might get himself or Emma killed."

"Right, I'll radio Jack. Call Robin and Will to be on the look out. If he comes home for some things, I want them to keep them there."

"But I don't have Robin's number…"

"I do," Zelena interrupts. "I'll call him right now."

Regina turns red in frustration but tries to keep her arm around Henry as they walk towards her BMW.

"Does anyone actually have Killian's number yet?" Ruby asks, still on the phone.

"Emma's phone does," David says. "But it's in the evidence locker."

"Will or Robin will have it," Zelena says, as she scrolls through her numbers looking for Robin's.

"Then we can track him on _Find my iPhone_ ," Anna adds. She is trying to find her sister, who has the keys to the convertible.

"Does Killian even know where's he's going?" David asks as Ruby fumbles with her own keys to start her car up. "We don't even know where Emma is."

"I don't think he knows either, the guy is probably so mad right now, he'll search all over the country to find Emma," Ruby says, putting her key in the ignition.

"We need him here; this is police business. Besides, if he kills Arthur King, there won't be any left for me to beat to a pulp."

"Can we ditch the violent acts for now?" Ruby says. "I know the guy is a total douche bag and deserves to rot in hell, but if I'm honest, I'd rather see him in jail. It's worse than hell."

"I'll get a few patrols out to find him. I'm going to take Mary home."

"We'll start searching. Text us when you want us back at the station," Ruby says.

"Alright."

Ruby hangs up and drops her phone on the seat and veers towards where the others are stationed around their cars.

"We'll all take a direction," Regina says. "Henry and I will take the east, Aurora and MeyLing the south, Zelena and Leroy the west and Anna and Elsa the north. Ruby, you need to go with David and make the station our home base."

"I'll pick up Robin along the way," Zelena says.

Regina opens her mouth to speak, but shuts it again. She must stay focused. Henry climbs into the passenger seat and Regina gets in and starts the car. All the vehicles take off in different directions, racing down the streets in search of Killian Jones.

…

"I knew he'd do something stupid like this," Robin grumbles angrily. He puts his shoes on after having received a phone call from Zelena.

"He's nuts he is," Will adds.

"It's just a testament to how much he cares about her I guess," Robin groans. "Aren't you coming Will?"

"Not this time mate," Will says. Robin notices that his roommate is in a dress shirt and tie.

"A date with Ana?" Robin groans.

"Right you are," Will says proudly.

"Don't you think finding your roommate and his kidnapped girlfriend is a little more important than getting some? I mean the world will not fall apart if you don't sleep with her tonight."

"On the contrary Robin, the world may not, but I will. Sex is like my energy booster, it's what keeps me alive."

Robin nearly vomits on the floor, the last thing he needed was another one of Will's passionate speeches about sex.

"Spare me the sermon, just make sure you keep the door shut when I get home. Your full moon is the last thing I want to see on my way to bed."

"A full moon orbiting two meteorites."

Robin shuts the door and goes downstairs before Will can get any dirtier.

Robin tries calling Killian, but he isn't picking up. Typical, especially if he's going to find Emma and he doesn't want anyone following him. Robin paces in front of the building, texting his roommate a few times and calling him even more.

"Killian, don't do whatever it is your thinking Mate," he says to the guy's answering machine. "I know you want to find her, but the police will do it for you. It's better to let them handle it than put yourself in danger."

Zelena's Porsche pulls up and honks the horn. Robin races over and climbs in the back, recognizing the grumpy man from the police station, who sits in the front seat.

"I've tried calling him," Robin says as Zelena pulls away from the apartment building. "No luck."

"I wouldn't expect him to be answering the phone, especially if he's going on the L.A.M. to find Emma," Zelena says.

"Turn on the _Find my iPhone_ app," Leroy instructs the third passenger. "We've got everyone in different directions trying to find him."

Robin does as he is told. He connects to the Internet and types in Killian's phone code. The radar begins beeping.

Eventually, the map shows where Killian's cell phone is.

"He's on the eastern side of town," Robin says. "It's moving out of town and towards the state border."

"Regina can track him from there," Leroy says. He grabs Zelena's phone.

"Hey give me that," Zelena says.

"I need Regina's phone number Sister and since she's your half-sister, you have her number."

Leroy finds Regina's number. Henry picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hey kid, it's Leroy, We picked up Guyliner's roommate and he's got the guy on the app, he's in your direction so you're on the chase."

Leroy then hands the phone to Robin.

"Hello, who is this?" Robin asks.

"It's Henry,"

"Ah, Emma's son,"

"Yes."

"Is Regina driving?"

"Yes."

"Well put me on speakerphone so I can talk to her."

"Sure," Henry says and does as he is told.

"Hello, Robin." Regina's voice can be heard.

"Hello Regina, I'm going to give you directions on where Killian is okay?"

"Alright," Regina says, trying to hide the flush in her cheeks from hearing his voice. "You're my GPS."

"He's headed East along Highland Parkway,"

"We're about 10 minutes from there," Regina says, as she makes a U-turn to follow Robin's instructions.

Meanwhile, Zelena has turned around and is now heading east, trying to catch up with her half-sister and hopefully beat her in finding Emma's rogue boyfriend.

Robin and Regina talk back and forth as the green dot that is Killian's phone continues to move along the map, further and further from downtown Boston.

Suddenly, the dot stops.

"It's stopped," Robin says.

"What do you mean?" Regina asks.

"I mean it's not moving anymore, he's just south of Baker's Boulevard, down close to the countryside."

"We're on our way there now," Regina says.

Henry keeps an eye out in the graying darkness for a black SUV. The BMW is going along a lonely country road, which has no streetlights, and is lined with many trees. Killian must've wanted to take the back roads out of Boston so he was less likely to be identified.

"I think it's on the side of the road," Robin says. "He must've stopped to get gas or something."

"It's pretty dark down this way," Regina says. "There isn't a gas station for miles."

"Well, then why would he stop?" Robin ponders. "His dot hasn't moved in the last ten minutes."

Henry swallows once the car's headlights fall upon something on the side of the road.

"Maybe that's why..." he says nervously.

There are black tire marks that lead off the highway and towards a large black mass in a ditch. A black SUV has swerved off the road and wrapped itself around a nearby tree. The gravel is scattered from where he keeled off the road and the taillights are flashing, as if in distress. Broken glass and dented car parts are everywhere as well.

"Oh my god," Regina gasps. She pulls off to the gravelly shoulder of the road and stops the car.

"What? What is it?" Robin asks on the other end of the line.

Henry hops out and follows Regina as they make their way to the twisted wreck.

"We found him," Henry says.

"Is he okay? What…"

Henry hangs up without thinking and rushes to the driver's side, where Regina is trying to pry it open.

Killian is slumped over the steering wheel, completely out cold and with blood coming down from a gash on his face. The entire contents of his car are strewn about and the front end of the car is completely wrapped around the tree. Henry immediately begins to panic.

 _What if he's dead? He can't be dead. My mom would want to die if he did!_

These questions raced through Henry's head as Regina struggles to get the driver's door open.

"Help me," Regina says insistently.

Henry reaches over and helps Regina pull against the driver door to free Killian.

It takes many tries before the dented door opens just enough for one of them to fit inside. Henry, who is thinner and smaller, reaches in to undo Killian's seat belt. Then both he and Regina grab Killian under the armpits and pull the docks man out of the twisted mangled wreckage.

Once he's on the wet grass, Regina checks his pulse and his breathing.

"He's still alive," Regina says. Henry breathes a sigh of relief. As Regina checks his breathing, her nose wrinkles in disgust.

"He's been drinking," she says very sternly. Henry stands up and sees what remains of a rum bottle in the front seat.

"Call an ambulance Henry and get my sweater from the car, we have to stop the bleeding."

Henry nods and dials an ambulance. He grabs Regina's black sweater from the car and hands it to her. She uses it to prop Killian's head up and presses a sleeve against his head wound.

"Killian, can you hear me?" She shouts.

Killian moans slightly and gasps a little bit.

"Killian, what hurts?"

Killian doesn't respond, except with a grimace.

"Killian an ambulance is on the way."

"I'm… so sorry Emma," he says quietly.

"Emma's not here and she'd be devastated to learn that you did something this stupid," Regina lectures him as she checks his body for other injuries.

Henry goes to get some water from the BMW and stays on the phone with the operator.

"Try to relax Killian," Henry says, trying to be of some help.

Killian's eyes flutter a little bit as he tries to stay conscious. He seems to recognize Henry's face, he gives a tiny frown to the teenager.

"I'm so sorry Lad," Killian whispers.

"We will find my Mom, don't worry," the boy says as confidently as he can. "Just going rogue isn't a good idea."

Killian manages a small smile.

…

Eventually, the red lights of an ambulance are flashing and lighting up the empty country road. Killian is being loaded into an ambulance in a neck brace and on a stretcher. David, Nova, and Jack are all on the scene, taking down Regina and Henry's statements. Almost everyone else has shown up now, most shaking their heads in disapproval at Killian's poor decision-making, but they tried to understand that Killian was so desperate to find Emma, he wasn't thinking clearly.

"You did a good job tonight Regina," David says.

"I've dealt with stupid people like this before," Regina sighs heavily.

"He wasn't stupid, just impulsive," David says defensively. Regina shoots him a look. "Okay, it was pretty stupid."

"Exactly, he might have to do time for such a stupid mistake," Regina mutters.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," David says. "Let's just get him to the hospital."

The ambulance takes off with sirens blaring and Regina sits on the hood of her car for a few moments to collect her bearings. She puts her hands over her face to rest her eyes.

"That was quite the rescue there," a voice says. Regina looks to see Robin walking towards her. "I've never seen such quick thinking and responsive actions."

"I trained in first aid when I was in college," Regina says.

"Well, you most likely saved his life," Robin says comfortingly.

"Hardly," she shakes her head. "I've seen a lot worse, to be honest."

She swallows when she thinks of Daniel.

Robin sits next to her, leaning against the hood of the car,

"I want to thank you for finding him," Robin says, almost awkwardly.

"It was really you who did the tracking," she says modestly.

"I guess it was a team effort,"

Regina blushes slightly, trying not to look into his beautiful blue eyes. She's glad it's dark out and he can't see her red face.

"I guess," she shrugs.

"I think we started off on an awkward foot," Robin says suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Regina asks.

"I mean is, you probably got the wrong impression of me."

"I never thought that," Regina says.

"Regardless, I would like to get to know you, Regina, maybe even become friends? If you're okay with that?"

Regina swallows hard, trying not to hide her excitement. Her eyes begin to shine brightly.

"I think I am…"

"And just so you know, I'm not dating your sister or anyone else for that matter."

"But you said you had a girlfriend, that girl Marian."

"She was actually my wife. Key word **was** , she and I have split up and we're going through a messy divorce with custody of our son Roland."

"So you have a son?" Regina asks, her interest peaked.

"Yes, he's five now and he's struggling with all of this. He tells me he misses his daddy."

"As most people would," Regina says. Her father died not long after she graduated college, it was a crushing blow and she still wished she could call him up and just talk to him.

"But I'm hardly in the ideal situation to raise him. In a tiny apartment with two roommates, one who's a slag and the other a man who is obviously living dangerously back into alcoholism. I just wish I had a way to fix my life, my own place to live where I can protect Roland. Let him have a normal childhood. You know?"

Regina just nods. She feels the need to put her arm around Robin, to provide him with some comfort. She decides to try for his hand. Robin is surprised at first, but then slowly accepts it. The two look into each other's eyes for a long moment before a loud horn blast shatters the peaceful moment.

Regina sees her uptight sister honking the horn.

"Come on Robin," she hollers. "I'll drop you off on my way home."

Robin swallows hard and looks at Regina.

"I'll talk to you later then," Robin says.

"Sure," Regina says, smiling weakly.

Robin runs over and climbs into the back of Zelena's Porsche. Regina watches him go, her heart feels a little bit lighter as if there is a sliver of hope for the two of them. She does catch her half-sister's evil eye and Regina gives a small satisfied smirk, knowing that Robin wasn't interested in her bratty sister. She was actually on the way to becoming Robin's friend, maybe one day something more, but she had to take it slow, her relationships should not be the priority right now, caring for Henry and finding Emma should be. Still…

Point to Regina.

 _Here's Chapter 35. Thanks for the comments and keep reviewing. Also, thank you for all the support. It really means a lot to me._


	36. Chapter 36

"When do you think he'll wake up?" Henry asks, sitting outside in the emergency waiting room.

"He wasn't too bad when they brought him in," Regina adds.

Regina, Henry, David and Ruby sit out in the hallway, waiting for news on Killian. Everyone else had gone home for the night.

"We'll know when Dr. Whale comes out," David says.

"I just can't believe how stupid he was; drinking and driving like that," Ruby says bluntly. "This is why I didn't want to tell Henry or him about what the woman said."

"Speaking of that, how did you find out?" Regina asks.

David gives Ruby a harsh stare.

"I listened in on the interview that David and Jack had with Gwen,"

"You realize that could be considered a criminal offense," David warns sternly.

Ruby shoots him a look. "Spare me the lecture, David. You're really going to arrest me for something minor while my best friend is missing and her boyfriend was drinking and driving. Some police force."

"Ruby, I know you care about Emma, but listening to an important witness, breaks confidentiality laws."

"I understand that, but I had to know if she really was just a bystander or if she knew where Emma was."

"Well clearly she doesn't," David says. "Otherwise, I would've been much more active and frantic to try and track the guy down if she did."

"That bastard is going to pay very dearly for all the shit he's put everyone through," Ruby says through gritted teeth.

"Get in line Ruby," David mutters.

The door to the emergency room opens and Dr. Whale steps out.

"We really need to stop meeting in the emergency room like this Lieutenant Nolan," Whale says in good humour.

"At least it's not the morgue," Ruby says. Everyone glares at her.

"How's he doing?" Regina asks.

"He's very lucky considering the damage to his vehicle. A broken leg and few cracked ribs, slight concussion and a sprained wrist, along with cuts and scrapes from the broken glass."

"When do you think he'll be released?" Ruby asks.

"I want to keep him for a few more days until his concussion is more under control, but he shouldn't travel very far and be within driving distance of the hospital."

"He might have to stay at Emma's apartment then," David says. He looks over at Henry. "Would that be okay?"

"Why are you asking me?" Henry asks in confusion.

"Well, you are the one who's living there."

"So are you," the teenager points out.

"Temporarily of course," David adds quickly.

"He'll need a proper bed and such for recovery. He'll be off his leg for six weeks," Dr. Whale adds.

Henry swallows. Sharing an apartment with his mother's boyfriend did not seem ideal at all, especially since he might have to give up his bedroom. Plus, the docks man will also need around the clock care and with school and such, it would be hard for the teen.

"Maybe he should just live at our place," David says. "We do have the extra room."

"But what about Henry?" Ruby asks. "And with the baby less than a month away, if might not be a good idea."

"I agree, with Miss Lucas," Dr. Whale says. "An injured man and newborn infant in the same house is not a good idea."

Regina sighs, knowing that she'll have to play hero once again.

"He can stay at my place; I have the extra room. I can care for both him and Henry. I work from home most of the time anyways."

"What if he just stays at Emma's apartment and you move in with them?" Ruby suggests.

"Where would I sleep?" Regina says, glaring at Ruby.

"There's always the couch," Ruby smirks.

"Mary Margret and I have a camp bed that can be used," David cuts in. "We can put it in the living room."

Regina thinks it over, not very happy that she'll have to leave the privacy of her own home and move into Emma's place to take care of her boyfriend and son. She liked living alone… most of the time. The quiet and the sort of sanctuary her apartment provided would go out the window if she lived in her friend's place. Plus, sleeping on a camp bed in the living room was hardly ideal and if Graham wanted to come over…

"We'll discuss the details later," Regina says quickly. "Can we see him?"

"I actually had to put him out for the night so you're all free to go home."

"Fine by me," Ruby yawns.

"I'll take Henry home," David says. He felt exhausted too and needed at least a little shut eye.

Regina nods and everyone exits the hospital and go their separate ways.

Ruby drives home to _Granny's_ and helps her grandmother close the restaurant. David and Henry come home to a still hot meal provided by Mary Margret. Then Henry goes to bed after doing some homework and Mary Margret and David soon follow. David keeps his phone on in case anything happens, but he snuggles up with his pregnant wife and tries to relax a little bit.

When Regina gets home, she showers and then heats up some leftover take out. She then watches a little TV before going to bed. As she lays down in bed, trying to memorize what it feels like to have a big bed, where she could stretch out and the mattress had therapeutic benefits for her back. Spending the next month on a camp bed in someone else's apartment was not how she envisioned her life going, but Henry needed her and considering that Emma had given Regina a job way back in the day when she was struggling to make ends meet, she owed her enough to care for Killian. Just don't expect her to become a maid that's there to wait on hand and foot.

…

Arthur watches as his children fall asleep in the big bed in his motel room. He's just checked and fed Emma, who was still resistant and desperate to be free. He did park in a wooded area and let her lay in the grass to stretch out, but he kept her bound and gagged the entire time. Despite how bizarre this situation was, he knew he would have to find a way to allow her to exercise while she was pregnant, without having her run away.

He also knew that he would have to say goodbye to his children very soon. He spent as much time as he could with them, showing them different sites and doing fun activities with them. He took them to a few museums, roadside attractions, the movies and a few amusement parks. He was treasuring his last few precious moments with them.

He had a plan all set up and ready to put into action. He planned to call Gwen and give him the location of where either she or the police could pick up their children. He planned to drive back towards the state border into Massachusetts and leave the kids at a roadside stop, under the care of the waitresses or restaurant staff. He would buy them ice cream, say goodbye and then drive away for where ever the road took him. He was thinking of going to an isolated wooded area, where he could house Emma until she gave birth. After that… he wasn't sure just yet, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

He'd bought plenty of non-perishable food and water for the trip which would likely be north of Connecticut, a place he could relax without being detected.

He'd bought a burner phone, one that could not be traced from a local drug store. He stared at it for a long time, while his kids fell asleep. He began to tear up slightly, knowing what he would have to do next.

…

The following day, Gwen was released from the hospital into the care of her parents. They were going to take her back to her house to get a few things, before having their daughter stay with them, possibly permanently.

Gwen is still crying a lot from her whole ordeal. The betrayal of her husband, the kidnapping of an innocent woman, the senseless attack on both of them, the abduction of her children and so much more. Gwen was sure she would never be able to live it down. It was so embarrassing how easily she was tricked and how their family name would now be dragged through the mud even further. The children didn't deserve this… not by a long shot.

As her father pulls up to their house, there is still police tape surrounding the house and few neighbours look on. Gwen swears that they are laughing at her. The officers let her through and Gwen is almost violently ill when she enters. She completely avoids the basement area and just rushes upstairs quickly.

Gwen goes to her room to pack as much as she can. She avoids the children's room as much as she can.

As she's shoving clothes into a duffle bag, her phone, which she had left on the nightstand began buzzing.

Gwen looks at the ID, it's an unknown number, but it might be important, so she picks it up.

"H-hello?" she says.

"Gwen, it's me…"

 _Duh, Duh, Duh, DUM! More to come soon. Thank you for the reviews and all the followers. I really appreciate the love and support._


	37. Chapter 37

"A-Arthur?" Gwen says slowly.

"Yes,"

Gwen's hand is shaking so hard as large waves of emotions wash over her. She knows she must try and remain calm, especially if he has the children and that poor girl, Emma Swan with him. Her stomach twists into a massive knot and she feels the need to vomit. She leans against the doorway; so, frightened and so, worried. She needs to find the strength to confront him. She grasps the doorknob to steady herself.

"How are you?" he asks.

Gwen sucks in a sharp breath, feeling anger instead of fear.

"HOW AM I?! YOU BASTARD! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME AND AN INNOCENT WOMAN! YOU'VE TAKEN OUR CHILDREN AND KIDNAPPED A WOMAN WHO HAS DONE NOTHING TO YOU! YOU SUDDENLY CALL UP AND YOU ASK HOW I AM! HOW DO YOU THINK I AM?!"

Arthur had moved the phone away from his ear as his wife screamed at him. His own stomach twisted into a thick knot, knowing that what he had done to Gwen would end their marriage no matter what. He did feel much guilt for what he had done to her, but he'd done it to give them another child, to be the perfect family… another chance.

Arthur sighs very deeply before bringing the phone back to his ear.

"I understand your anger."

"NO SHIT ARTHUR!" she screams. "YOU HAVE RUINED SO MANY LIVES!"

"I did this for you!"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT, YOU DID THIS FOR YOU AND ONLY YOU!"

"You never asked me if I didn't want to have another child!"

"YOU DON'T OWN MY LIFE ARTHUR, I CHOSE TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER MOUTH TO FEED. WE WERE HAPPY THE WAY WE WERE!"

"I wasn't."

"OBVIOUSLY NOT!" Gwen continues to scream. She begins storming down the hall and down towards her parent's awaiting car. Both of them see how red in the face Gwen is and the tears in her eyes.

"Honey what's wrong?" her mother asks.

Gwen covers the mouthpiece of the speaker.

"Call the police, Arthur is on the phone," she says.

…

David is reading several files at his desk about the police evidence found at the King home when there is a page into his office. He picks it up on his cell phone, having both connected for certain situations.

"Lieutenant Nolan,"

"Lieutenant, a 911 call just came in involving the abduction of Emma Swan."

David nearly drops his phone as he rushes down the main hallway towards the parking lot. He grabs Jack along the way as they climb into the car and turn on the police scanner to pick up the dispatch.

"We have a white male claiming that his daughter is talking with the main suspect in the abduction of a white female." The scanner then gives the address. Both officers recognize it as the crime scene, they turn on the sirens and lights and speed out into the busy Boston streets.

David's heart is racing and he can feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. If the woman, Gwendolyn King has Arthur on the phone, they can trace the call and identify his location. At the same time, they must do this secretly in order not to tip him off and send him on the run or risk the lives.

"Get the station on the phone," David orders Jack. "We're going to need an ANI to trace the call."

…

Gwen is trying to keep Arthur on the phone long enough for the police to arrive and hopefully trace the call.

"Gwen I know you may have a lot of questions but…"

"And I want the answers NOW!" she orders.

"I can't give them to you."

"You can and you will. Those are our children with you."

"And they're fine," Arthur says in a quiet voice. "You can talk to them right now."

Gwen hears the phone being handed off and then a bright and familiar voice comes on.

"Hi, Mommy," Megan's voice chirps happily.

Gwen swallows very hard and tries not to collapse right then and there. She is overcome with grief and guilt that tears are pouring down her face like a waterfall. Suddenly, she realizes that she can't let her children know that something is wrong, that they've been kidnapped, it would scare them, disturb them and… Arthur might do something to them. Her stomach is so tight now that it feels like she has a large weight dragging her deeper and deeper into this hell her husband has created.

"H-Hi baby, how are you?" Gwen says weakly.

"I'm fine Mommy. We're having fun with Daddy."

"Y-You are are you?"

"Uh huh, Daddy took us to a water park and we went for ice cream and the movies and…"

"That's wonderful honey."

"We miss you, Mommy,"

"I miss you too Megan. Daddy must be really treating you."

"He is Mommy, it's so much fun. Daddy said it was like the trip we took to Grandma's, only he gets to play with us."

Gwen wants to break down and cry, she holds onto her father's firm arm to prevent her collapse.

"Is Ben there?"

"Yes,"

"Can I talk to him?"

"Okay," Megan says.

Another amount of shifting is heard as Megan gives the phone to Ben. "It's Mommy!" she says excitedly.

"Hi Mommy," Ben says in an equally happy voice.

"Hi buddy, how are you."

"Good, Mommy, I went on a water slide all by myself and we saw dinosaurs and…"

"That's amazing baby, are you having fun?"

"Uh huh, so much fun."

"I can't wait for you to come home."

"Uh huh, I miss my bed and my trucks."

"I know baby, but you'll be home soon." Of course, for Gwen, this is her prayer. She doesn't know what Arthur is going to do, why he took the children and what he might do to them. She suddenly hears the sirens coming up the street. She prays that the cell is not on speakerphone and Arthur can hear it.

"What's that Mommy?" Ben asks.

"A fire truck," Gwen lies quickly. "There must be a fire truck somewhere."

"Yeah!" Ben says.

The police car pulls up with its lights flashing and the sirens blaring.

"Hold on a second baby," Gwen says before blocking the mouthpiece of the phone again. She turns to her father. "Tell the officers to turn the sirens off, I feel that if Arthur knows the police are around he might…"

Gwen's father nods and rushes over as David comes up the driveway.

"Is she on the phone with him?" David asks the man.

"She's talking to her children right now, they're both safe."

"Anything about Emma Swan yet?"

"Nothing so far, but she wants the sirens turned off so that Arthur doesn't know the police are listening."

"Right," David says. He signals for Jack to turn the lights and sirens off. He then rushes over to Gwen as she continues talking to Ben.

"That's amazing Benny," she says. She nods when she sees David, a look of slight relief floods her face, but tears continue to flow from her eyes. David can tell she's close to an emotional breakdown, understandable considering the situation involving her children. "Can I talk to Megan again to say goodbye?"

"Okay, Mommy."

"I'll say goodbye and I'll see you soon, I love you…" Gwen says, trying to mask her sadness. She's scared that this might be the last time she says this to her son.

"Bye-bye Mommy," Ben's voice says nicely.

"Bye bye sweetie," Gwen whispers.

"Hi Mommy," Megan's voice says again.

David wants to take the phone and tell Megan what to do to escape. He reaches over but Gwen shrinks away.

"Hi Baby, hold on a second."

She covers the microphone again. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to inform your daughter on how to protect herself and her brother," David says.

"Please don't tell her anything. She's only eight and I don't want to scare her. Both of them don't know what's happening, they think it's a fun trip with their father. If you tell her, she'll likely tell him and he might…" Gwen begins to cry a bit harder at the thought.

David understood immediately and backed off, but he asks a favour.

"Please put it on speakerphone."

Gwen obeys.

"I'm back Baby," Gwen says. "I just wanted to say goodbye, I'll see you soon."

"I miss you, Mommy," Megan's sweet voice says over the speaker.

"I miss you too, but you'll be home soon. I love you."

"I love you, Mommy."

"Can I talk to Daddy again?" Gwen's face distorts with disgust when referring to her monster of a husband.

"Uh huh, Bye Mommy."

"Bye Baby," Gwen says. She swallows even more of her sadness and puts on a brave tone for her husband.

"The kids do miss you, Gwen," Arthur's voice says.

David clenches his fists. He wants very badly to find this man and rip him limb from limb. After what he must be putting Emma through if he hasn't already killed her or… He bites his tongue to keep himself quiet.

"Arthur, why did you call me?" Gwen squeaks.

"I want to set up a rendezvous," he says. Arthur goes out into the hallway of the motel room he's staying at and keeps the door closed to prevent his children from listening in.

All individuals' listening jaws drop and eyes widen in shock. David's heart swells with the hope that the man is going to release the children and Emma.

"Where?" Gwen asks.

"I'm not sure yet, but I'm going to give the kids to you."

"What about the woman?"

"What about her?" Arthur asks in an almost obnoxious voice. David grinds his teeth together.

"Will she be with them?"

"Possibly," is the vague answer.

There is a long silence on Arthur's end of the phone. David's heart pounds loudly. Many thoughts rush through his mind, has he already killed Emma? Will he hand her over with the children to go into hiding? Is he lying? Is this all just some big distraction? What if he kills the children and Emma? What if…?

Suddenly, Arthur's voice resurfaces.

"I have to go Gwen; I'll call you with the location. Just so you know it will be out of state."

"But Arthur…"

The line suddenly goes dead and there's nothing but silence. David is so enraged that he wants to take the phone and throw it against the wall. However, he tries to remain professional and begins pacing back and forth to try and calm himself. This fails miserably because he's so angry by this bastard's so-called cat and mouse game that he's playing and with children's and Emma's life on the line, it's almost too much for him to bear.

He grinds his teeth together and then bites his lip hard enough to bleed. He fights back any tears that he has and begins to think things through.

"Son of a bitch," Gwen says as if reading David's mind.

"We're going to need to take your phone back for tracing Mrs. King."

"I know that Officer, but if we let Arthur know that the police are tracking him… he might harm Megan, Ben, and Emma…"

"I know…" David growls under his breath. "We need to find a way to trace the call and get the police to set up a road block to prevent him from escaping."

Gwen's heart is pounding against her rib cage.

"We need to take you back to the station Mrs. King. You need to be the one to take that call… Jack?" David calls out for the young officer who is on the phone to the police station.

"Yes, sir?"

"I want all the nearby states on high alert for the potential release of the hostages."

"Yes Lieutenant," he says, before dialing a new number.

"Mrs. King," David says. "We need you to come to the station. There we can hook up your phone and hopefully get a signal to track down your husband."

"He's not my husband anymore," Gwen says, swallowing hard. "He's my ex and a wanted man."

 _Will Arthur really release the children? What is going to happen next? Thank you to my readers and hopefully, I will have a new chapter up again this weekend._


	38. Chapter 38

Henry and Mary Margret walk into the hospital as the rain is pouring outside. Both of them shake off the umbrella and shiver under their coats. They walk up to the front desk with their shoes squeaking with water.

"Killian Jones please," Mary Margret says. She has a small bouquet of flowers with her.

"Ah yes," the receptionist says. "You're just in time for visiting hours. He's on the second floor, Room 237."

"Thank you," Mary Margret says. She and Henry walk together towards the elevator. As they go down one of the halls, Henry sees the room that Gwen King was in. He saw that it was now vacant. He hoped that her children and his mom would be found very soon.

Eventually, the two come to room 237. They knock before entering.

Killian is propped up in the hospital bed, in a hospital gown with his leg in the air. His blue eyes open when the two coming into the room. He tries to smile, even though he is in pain. He has several cuts and bruises on his face, some that had medical stitches in them. His leg was in a cast that was hanging over the bed and his wrist was wrapped in gauze. He was hooked up to an IV to numb the pain he was in and a few monitors just to keep track of his progress. He turns towards his two visitors with some happiness.

"Ahoy," Killian says weakly.

"Hello, Killian," Mary Margret says. "How are you feeling?"

"Well the hangover has worn off," Killian says in good humor.

Mary Margret frowns, giving Killian the look she often gives students who misbehave.

"Don't joke about this Killian!" she says sternly. She had been waiting quite awhile to tell him off. "You could've been killed you know?!"

"Aye I do Mary, but…"

"Don't act like it's not a big deal!" Mary Margret cuts him off. "What you did was stupid and very reckless. If Regina and Henry hadn't found you…" She begins to tear up in anger. "Why would you do that? And with Emma! What would she think if she came back and found out you were dead because you were drinking and driving?"

Killian grimaces, his stomach twists in guilt. Obviously, the school teacher cared about him and his well-being… mostly because of Emma, he assumed. He knows that what he did must've been the stupidest thing he's ever done in his life and considering he used to do drugs, that's saying something.

When he had stormed out of the woman's hospital room, he was very angry and close to tears. His mind and body were a mess at the thought that this man had taken Emma to get her pregnant. Once he got outside, he punched the wall in front of the hospital and then vomited in the bushes. His head was spinning in confusion and rage. He knew he had to find Emma. He had to save her from this monster. He couldn't imagine how scared she must be, being held by this maniac.

Killian was obviously not thinking clearly and he drove off in his car to the nearest liquor store. He doesn't know why he went there, he just did. It's how he coped with Milah dying, so it was falling back into old habits. He bought the cheapest bottle of rum that he could and took off without even getting his change. He pulled into the back alleyway behind his apartment and began drinking in his car. He was crying the entire time; drinking, looking at some of the photos he had of Emma and drinking again. What happened next was a bit of a blur. He remembers starting his car and trying to find a way out of Boston, trying to find where this man might have taken Emma. He remembers seeing the country side and he remembers turning on his radio before everything went black. The next thing he remembers was waking to Regina calling his name and her shaking him. He knew that he had screwed up badly and when he looked at Henry's face, he felt a wave of guilt for what he had done. He had almost gotten himself killed and he thought of Liam and how his brother would've smacked him upside the head for doing something so incredibly stupid. When he saw Henry's concerned face, seeing those eyes that were like his mother's, he broke down. What would Emma have said if she was here? Would she have broken up with him? She would've been devastated had he died in this accident, killed by his own hand. If he hadn't, she also probably would've killed him anyway for acting so impulsively. What he had done had not benefitted anyone. It didn't bring them any closer to finding Emma and honestly just distracted and made everyone worry that much more.

"I'm sorry Love," Killian says meekly. "I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit."

"You shouldn't be joking about something so serious. What on earth were you thinking?"

"That's the thing Mary, I wasn't thinking. I was so upset about what that woman said that I couldn't stand having Emma be in that man's clutches for a minute more. I wanted to try and find her, but for some reason, I went to the liquor store instead, a force of habit perhaps, and I ended up drinking and then crashing."

"Well you should know; you've made everything ten times worse than they already are and most likely delayed David's chance of finding Emma."

"I know," Killian sighs deeply. He shuts his eyes, trying to avoid crying. It hurt every time he took in a breath, a constant reminder of what he had done.

Mary Margret sighs. She can't stay mad at him for too long, he's obviously suffered enough. She goes to find a cup or vase to put the flowers in.

Henry sits down next to Killian and watches as the docks man breathes deeply. His eyes are shut as if he is concentrating very hard on something, his face in the form of a grimace. It's so tense that Henry's worried that the wounds on his face might open again.

"Does it hurt?" Henry asks quietly.

"Quite a lot," Killian says. "Whale has put me on medication to numb it, but it's mostly emotional pain. I'm sorry I put you through this Henry."

"It's okay," Henry says quietly.

"No, it's not. I should have been trying to find your mother or working with David instead of driving off like an idiot and wrapping my car around a tree."

"It's okay," Henry repeats. It's all he can really think of to say since the entire situation is so complicated and so unbearable. He, himself, has been trying not to cry from the stress and emotion of what's been happening. No fifteen-year-old should have to go through this, and yet here he was, sitting in a hospital with his mother's boyfriend, while the police were out searching for his abducted mother, who was only being held so that the kidnapper could get her pregnant. He rubs his hand through his thick bangs, which his mother always insisting that he get cut. He'd give anything to hear her nag him about it one more time.

Suddenly, Mary Margret's phone goes off. She picks it up from her purse.

"Hello?"

"Mary, where are you?" David asks.

"We're at the hospital with Killian why?"

"Arthur King has been in touch with his wife. He says he's going to drop off the hostages somewhere in the next state."

Mary Margret nearly drops the phone in shock.

"Are you serious?" she says, tears filling her eyes. The man was going to release Emma and apparently, the two children that David had told her about earlier. She can barely contain her emotion by this news.

"Yes," David says. "We're going to put a tracker on her phone to track him down. He said he would call very soon with the location of where he was leaving them."

Mary Margret is so overwhelmed by this news that she must sit down. Both Henry and Killian are looking at each other in confusion. They're worried that it's bad news and neither of them is prepared for if they've found Emma's body.

"Do you want us to come over there?" Mary Margret asks.

"Yes," David says. The officer doesn't really know why his wife and the hostage's son should be at the station, but he probably needs the support more than anything.

"We'll be over really soon," his wife assures him.

"Okay, I love you," David says.

"I love you too."

Mary Margret hangs up and wipes a few tears from her eyes. She looks at the two men in front of her, looking very confused and very afraid.

"It's good news," she says to them.

"They found my mom?" Henry asks, his heart beginning to race.

"The man who has her is going to release his hostages out of state within the next few hours."

Killian lets out a deep sigh of relief and is close to crying himself. "So she's safe?" he asks.

"I'm not sure yet, but he's going to drop off the location within the next few hours and the police are going to trace his call. David wants us to be over at the station as soon as possible."

Henry stands up eagerly and is at the door before she can say anything else.

Killian regrets his actions from the previous night even more. He wishes that he wasn't stuck in bed and he could go with them. He clenches his unsprained hand into a fist and grinds his teeth together, wanting so badly to be leaving this bed.

Mary Margret leans over and kisses Killian's forehead.

"As soon as they bring her home, we'll come right over I promise," she says reassuringly.

Killian gives a small smile before laying back as his body is aching in pain.

"When you find her, tell her I love her."

"I will," Mary Margret says. She leaves the flowers by Killian's bedside and walks out with Henry. The two of them cannot go fast enough down the hall and into the elevator. Both of their hearts are pounding wildly in hope and anticipation for the coming release of their beloved Emma.

…

Arthur pulls up at a restaurant just along the highway. It's a restaurant with a playground, which will be perfect for leaving the kids there, as long as he knew they were safe.

The kids clamber out of the car eagerly and run towards the restaurant. Arthur stays back, leaning against the driver's side door. He stares at the trunk where Emma is still being held prisoner inside. He can hear her still struggling. She had not given up on trying to escape. Despite being gagged and blindfolded, she continued to fight every step of the way. He had tasered her a few times to subdue her resistances. This was after he'd fed her and he even covered her with a blanket for the nights in the trunk. He knew he'd have to let her out sometime, if she wasn't well fed and exercised, she wouldn't be able to carry a baby.

 _Maybe I should just let her go…_ his mind thought. _Since Gwen hates you now and doesn't want another baby and you're giving the kids back…_

Arthur sighs deeply and goes to check on Emma in the back.

Emma's skin rises in goose bumps as the cold winter air hits her in the back of the trunk. She'd kicked off the blanket in her many feeble attempts to escape. She'd fought in any way possible to remove the gag and or cut her bonds. She couldn't see where she was or even attempt to attack this man. Her body was battered and bruised from all her struggling and it was also stiff from being in the certain position for so long.

She feels a cold hand suddenly brush the limp blonde hair from her face and actually wipes the sweat from her brow. She attempts to head butt the hand and scream out from the gag, trying to attract the attention of someone… anyone.

Arthur stares down at his prisoner, his mind a whirlwind of confused emotions. If he let her go with kids, he will surely go to jail, but if he stuck with his original plan, he could be free for much longer.

"Sit tight Miss Swan," Arthur says. "I'll be back soon."

Emma tries to shout at him through her gag, but all that comes out is muffled sound. Arthur shuts the trunk again and locks the car before following his children inside.

He sees that they've already gone to the playground, playing in the ball pit and going down the slide. They wave at him as he goes to the counter to order some food.

Once the food is bought, he calls his children over and they happily eat, chatting about what they were doing and that they got to see Mommy again. Arthur just watched his children, tears in the corners of his eyes. He swallows a large lump in his throat and tries to memorize his children's beautiful features. From their lively eyes to their dimply smiles, he wanted to remember it all.

When the kids are finished, Arthur speaks up.

"Megan," he says.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"I'm going to have to make an important phone outside for a few minutes. It might a take a little while, but I won't be far away. I want you to be my special helper and keep an eye on Ben while this happens okay?"

Megan looks confused, but then she smiles.

"Okay, Daddy."

"That's my baby girl," Arthur murmurs. He reaches over and pulls his daughter into a long hug. Megan is confused again, but she continues to hug her daddy with much love and affection.

"Be a good girl while I'm gone," he says, kissing the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you too Daddy," Megan says.

"Good, now go and play," he says.

Arthur then scoops up his son and hugs him tightly too. Ben is eager to get back to playing, but Arthur holds onto him. He kisses his son's cheek and is very close to crying at this point.

"Be a good boy for Megan okay?' Arthur says.

"Okay, Daddy."

"That's my boy," he says proudly. "I love you."

"Love you, Daddy," Ben says with a big smile.

Arthur then puts his son down and he watches the two of them go off to play. There is a large pain in his heart like someone is drilling a hole right through it. All the happiness and joy was leaking from this hole, leaving him with a hollow shell of nothing but sadness.

Arthur takes one last look at his happy children before forcing himself to turn around and walk out the door.

Once he's in the shadows of the restaurant, he slowly picks up his phone and dials Gwen's number.

 _Thank you to all the readers and a special shout out to TheAnonymousAuthor03, it really means a lot to me. Anyone catch the special reference I put in this chapter?_


	39. Chapter 39

Gwendolyn is pacing inside a quiet room at the police station. Waiting for the phone to ring, which sits on a nearby table. She's too nervous to touch it. Her mind races about where her children are… they sounded fine on the phone, happy even, but she's learned not to trust her husband, trust him to take care of their children. She hasn't stopped crying quietly to herself the entire time. It's like waiting for a bomb to go off or a rabid wild animal to pounce.

The police have installed a tracker on her phone so they can track Arthur, that is if Gwen can keep him on the line long enough. It's like something out of a spy movie or some thriller. Gwen even recalls a horror movie that used this trope too.

David stands outside the door with Nova guarding it to make sure no one tries anything. David is equally nervous, maybe more so, but also hopeful. He wasn't sure what this man Arthur was going to try to pull, but even if Emma was not with the children at the rendezvous, they would still be able to track his phone and rescue her. Wherever she is, he hopes that she is well fed and at least warm. The conditions in the house that she'd been kept in were almost inhumane, but not the worst. David had once read about a case where a man kept women in a pit in his basement and filled it with water when they disobeyed him.

Nova has a list of police stations in the nearest states. David had a hunch that he might've fled to Connecticut, as it would've been the easiest way to go, but he had written several others for Nova to call the minute the address was said.

Both officers wait with baited breath. That is until Jack brings Mary Margret and Henry down the hall.

David rushes over and embraces his wife, kissing her and holding her tightly. This was sort of difficult considering how pregnant she was, but he held her as if she might disappear suddenly. Henry stands by, his face filled with concern, but there was an appearance of hope there too. David reaches over and ruffles Henry's hair like his mother used to do.

"We'll find her kid," he says. "I promise. How's Killian?"

"Feeling incredibly guilty and upset that he can't be here," Mary Margret answers.

"Well serves him right for making such a stupid decision."

"Don't blame him too much David, he wasn't thinking, everything has been so overwhelming and emotional, at some point one of us was going to snap and do something crazy."

"I was thinking **_crazy_** being more along the lines of marrying a total stranger in Vegas or moving to Cuba suddenly, not nearly killing themselves," David sighs.

"We all cope differently," Mary Margret says sympathetically. "Besides, I already gave him a lecture about his reckless decision."

"And everyone knows that your lectures are the most insightful," David says in good humour.

The three of them hear a snort of derision from down the hall and they spy Gold walking along with a cup of evening coffee. Obviously, he was eavesdropping on their conversation and couldn't wait to put his two sense in. This irks David quite a lot. The Commissioner still cared very little about Emma, even though he had been proven wrong in terms of the theory that Emma had run away. David was still quite worried that Gold might try to shelve the investigation too early, leaving Emma in the hands of a maniac. It had also become apparent to David that Gold had wanted to arrest Killian for what happened last night. It took David, Nova, and Jack to stand up to the commissioner and tell them there were more important issues to deal with than a drunk driver. The worst-case scenario would be that Killian had his license taken away and his car impounded, but the poor man was suffering enough; the docks man didn't need a stuck-up commissioner on his back. Plus his car was undrivable anyways.

David glares down the hallway at Gold before the commissioner disappears back towards his office, then all of a sudden the sound of a phone ringing from the adjacent room catches his attention. Immediately, everything about Gold is forgotten as David tears away from his wife and enters the room.

Gwen has her phone in her hand as it rings and she has it away from her ear like it's a poisonous snake that this about to attack. The number is unknown and David presses the tracer to begin to get the man's location. He nods at Gwen and she drags her finger along to answer it.

"H-Hello?" Gwen says. She puts it on speakerphone so everyone can hear it.

"Hello Gwen,"

"Arthur," she says.

"How are you doing?"

David grinds his teeth, angry that this man is trying to make small talk with his wife, whom he attacked and abducted her children from as well as holding an innocent person hostage. He wants a chance to meet this man to punch him in the face for what he's done. He remains quiet to have Arthur King believe that Gwen is alone.

"I'm fine, but where are you?" she says sternly, keeping her anger from overflowing.

"I'm not going to tell you," the man says.

David grimaces even harder and clenches his hands into fists.

"What do you mean…?" Gwen says, equally as angry. "You were going to…"

"Just listen, Gwen…" Arthur says. "You'll find what you're looking for off Highway 63 at _Burger King_ , next to a tire repair shop. I believe the address is 1364 Waterloo Boulevard in Connecticut."

David immediately signals to Nova to call the nearest Connecticut police department. The blonde officer hurries down the hall to make the call.

"Will everyone be there?" Gwen asks, skeptically. "Arthur you better let that poor girl go. She's done nothing wrong and she deserves to be free!"

Arthur says nothing, there's nothing but silence. David knows that the tracker must be working and the longer they listen, the stronger the signal. His stomach turns in apprehension and fear; Arthur might try to escape with just Emma. He immediately rushes out and goes to where Nova is.

"Tell them they have to get there as soon as possible; he might not release Emma with the children."

"Alright," Nova says as she turns back to the conversation with the Connecticut police.

David rushes back to the room, past his concerned wife and Emma's son, they both sit helplessly, waiting for good news or news of any type.

"Don't worry," Arthur's voice says. "You won't be seeing me for a long time."

David bites his lip hard, trying not to shout at the man out of anger. He has to stay calm, for the sake of the hostages.

"I never want to see you on my doorstep again. It's over between us. The only place I want to see you is on TV and behind bars, mark my words," Gwen warns.

David swallows and shakes his head. When he does this, Gwen immediately regrets her words, this might make things worse and Arthur might not release Emma or the children at all.

"That's nice Gwen," Arthur says in a sickeningly calm voice. "It's really a shame, I think this could've worked out well between us. We were going on 12 years of marriage you know. I had a special weekend getaway planned… a nice quiet cabin in Vermont."

"Don't try to lure me in with that kind of talk, you're a monster and you deserve to be in prison for all the suffering you've caused!"

"Perhaps I do," Arthur says. "Perhaps I don't, but I will always love you, Gwendolyn Julia King… till death do us part. I won't hold you to that vow anymore, but if you promise to see me behind bars, I'm going to hold you to that. Tell the kids I love them…"

Then the line goes dead.

Gwen then collapses on the floor and begins to weep. David is by her side, trying to comfort her as best she can.

"I-I'm so, so, sorry," she says. "I l-let my anger get the better of me, now he won't…"

"Don't worry," David says. "We've already called the Connecticut police and I told them to make sure a road block is set up to prevent anyone from leaving the area. No one is going any further into Connecticut." He knows that what Gwen did was rather impulsive and it could have consequences, but the woman deserved her chance to stand up to the man who had hurt her in so many ways. She'd been stuck in a toxic marriage and was merely a helpless pawn in this sick and twisted game.

…

A call from the Connecticut police department has officers racing to the specified address, they were looking for two children, ages eight and four, and a young blonde woman, aged 28. They also had to set up a road block so no one goes any further into the state or leaves. Two local police stations from neighbouring towns were setting up the block, while the main officers went to find the victims.

The sirens are blaring loudly as they speed along the highway towards the restaurant, cars pulling to the side to avoid the hurrying police, some rather angry at this inconvenience.

Two older officers with graying hair and tired faces come to the specific address and hurry inside to find the children, while another patrol car blocks the parking lot and nearby streets. Many people in the restaurant are confused and very alarmed, but the police ignore them and go into the playground area.

Many children become shocked and a bit afraid of the policemen, some even fascinated, waving from the structure. The two look for the young blonde woman, but can't find her. They then call the children's names.

"I'm looking for a Megan and Ben King."

A young girl peers around a swirly slide at the two men and a boy looks over from the ball pit.

"We're looking for a Megan and Benjamin King."

Megan is immediately afraid, wondering what she and Ben had done to have the police come and arrest them. She wants her daddy right away, so he could explain everything to them.

One of the employees of the restaurant asks the officers what the problem is and the officers tell him that they are looking for two children who had been missing.

 ** _Missing?_** Megan wasn't missing, she was right here and so was Ben. She knows that police are good guys, but she was still afraid. She reluctantly goes towards the men.

One of them kneels down to be at Megan's eye level.

"Are you Megan King?"

"Yes," she says. Ben has exited the ball pit to join his sister, whom he hides behind.

"I'm Constable Handler and this is my partner Gerard, your mother is looking for you."

"But she knows where we are," Megan says.

"I'm afraid she doesn't little one."

"But my daddy is with us,"

The officer gets a call over the radio.

"No suspect in sight sir, and the blonde woman has not been found."

The officer looks back at the small girl and boy.

"Is there a blonde woman with you?" he asks gently

Megan shakes her head. "It's just me, my brother and my daddy."

"I'm afraid your Daddy is gone, sweetheart," he says as calmly as he can. "He's run away with someone who doesn't want to be with him."

 _Sorry to the readers who want Emma rescued, it's not always going to be that easy. I'll do my very best not to drag it out for too long, but please stay with me if you can. In fact, if you tell me that it is getting too long, I will take your advice and try to end it soon. I just have still had a lot planned out to write about, I may have to make a sequel even. I also might not be able to update as regularly. Like this plot, you'll never expect what comes next. Thank you for the reviews and your support, it means the world to me._


	40. Chapter 40

"How are the children?" David asks to one of the officers in Connecticut.

"They're fine," the officer says. "Maybe they've had a little too much junk food, but other than that, they're healthy and unaware of what their father was doing."

"And still no sign of Miss Swan?"

"Not at the moment Lieutenant, all the road checks so far have turned up nothing."

David's heart sinks to his stomach and he does his best not to cry then and there. He should've known better than to assume that Arthur King would not release Emma, especially since she had not served her alleged purpose yet. One would assume that since Gwendolyn most likely wanted a divorce by now and take their children from him, Emma would be of little use to him. At the same time, Emma was most likely a form of sexual thrill for this monstrous man. On the run from the law and holding someone hostage gave some twisted amount of pleasure and excitement. David would need a psychologist to fully diagnose the man's condition, but from what he's learned from Gwen, he has a short temper, violent tendencies and unusual forms of enjoyment.

David sits down in the quiet room for another few minutes while the officer fills him in on what they found at the scene… nothing! Nothing but the children. No evidence that a man and a woman, who was being held prisoner had been there. It was also quite obvious to him that Arthur had done a good job at concealing Emma's presence from his children as they were completely oblivious to what was happening around them. It was preferred by their mother, but the children would have to be interviewed to see if they heard or saw anything from their father that would reveal where he was going or what he planned to do with Emma. For all they knew, he still wanted a baby from Emma and planned to keep her, maybe even force her to marry him and start a new family.

Once the officer is finished, David sighs. "Thank you Officer Doyle."

Once he hangs up, David puts his hands over his eyes and begins to cry. He's so angry and at the same time so sad. He wants to get Emma out of the man's clutches. She doesn't deserve this, she never did anything to this man, and yet he kept her chained to a bed and raped her. These things should only have to happen in movies, or in TV dramas, but sadly they happen all the time.

David continues to sob until he feels gentle arms wrap themselves around his neck and shoulders. He immediately recognizes her perfume and the soft sweater she's wearing. He hears her soft breathing and feels her gentle touch. David reaches over and pulls his wife into his arms and they both cry. Neither of them has to be strong at this moment, they just need to support each other. The desperation and seeming hopelessness of this entire situation has taken a toll on everyone who loves Emma. David and Mary Margret always watched out for Emma, treated her like a member of their family and now that she was missing, it's like huge holes have been punched into their chests. Their family no longer feels complete and it drives them all to tears. David rocks his pregnant wife back and forth, burying his face in her shoulder and she does likewise.

Out in the hallway, Henry is leaning over in a chair, facing the floor, covering his face with his hands. He too is crying. He wanted his mom back so badly. They had never been separated this long and after Neal had left, he relied on her more than ever. He missed her strong arms attempting to hug him each day, her sarcastic comments whenever he gave her attitude, her own fierce and tough attitude that kept him feeling safe and her strong determination to make a home after their little family connection had been severed.

Henry, at one point, feels a sympathetic hand on his back. He knows it's either Nova or Jack, trying to provide some comfort, he or she even rubs his back like his mom used to do when he was scared. Despite all the comfort and effort, people were giving him to make him feel less upset or traumatized, they couldn't replace his mother. He can't really explain it, but no one can replace the love he has for her.

…

Several hours later, most of the group gathers at the hospital in Killian's room, sharing warm beverages. David had been sent home by the others with the insistence that he needed a break from everything. He had texted all their friends to tell them about what had happened and that the slimy son of a bitch had slipped through their fingers again. No one really speaks, not even Anna, they all look glumly at one another or down at their drinks. Nothing felt the same without Emma. Killian was especially distressed when David, Mary Margret, and Henry came back with the news. He became so upset that he wanted to start disconnecting the IVs and monitors he was hooked up to and try to go find Emma again. It took a lot of Mary Margret's teaching skills to reason with Killian and have him settle down again and David had to convince Dr. Whale not to try and settle the docks man down with drugs.

The rest of the group came with hot chocolate, with cinnamon in it, or coffee and just sat there for a long time, mourning and hating how twisted and mangled their lives had become. It was all because of one man and his selfish desires.

Even Neal had come; he sat in the corner of the room in a lone chair, sipping coffee and staring at his nearly grown son. How much time had passed since he last saw him made him regret ever leaving in the first place. He wanted to go over and comfort his boy like he used to whenever Henry was sad or scared, but now… Henry was leaning on David and Mary Margret, Regina and Ruby and even Killian for some form of comfort. It made him want to put his fist through the wall for letting his own selfish desires compromise what he had with Henry and Emma. Sure, their lives weren't perfect, but both had been happy when he was around. If he was honest with himself, he thought he was the source of their misery. One could assume that he did become that source of misery when he left.

Neal takes in a deep breath. He knows he must do something more. It may not earn back his son's love or anyone else's trust, but he had to do more. Police work would not be enough; they needed more resources, more insider information, anything different.

Neal stands up and quietly exits the room, not that anyone noticed or cared. He goes to a quiet place in the hospital with good reception and scrolls down to a number he hadn't dialed in a long time.

It rings several times before the man he needs picks up.

"Neal?" the mans says.

"August, I need your help."

 _Hey everyone, sorry if this chapter is so short. My apologies to thesecret21, but nothing is ever that easy (please don't be too mad. You could stop reading until I'm done and then you could read it all in one go). Please review and follow. Thank you all for the amazing compliments and support. It really makes my day._


	41. Chapter 41

Emma's entire body is weak from hunger and being bound up in the same position for so long. She's struggled as often as she could, trying to find something, anything sharp that might allow her to cut her bonds, but she can hardly reach anything being crammed in the back with bags in the tiny trunk. She does work on the gag, though, wetting the gauze and working to wet the duct tape so it will come loose. She hopes that she might be able to save herself, call out for help. She's grown upset and more tired with every passing moment that the car has been in motion.

She does her best to remain awake for in case the man stops for any reason. He might want to take advantage of her again or provide her with food. Her stomach growls loudly, her throat is becoming dry and her body no longer has as much strength to fight back. But she will keep fighting, she will not die like this… She did not go through so many foster homes and go through so many hardships to die here, in the arms of a disturbed individual.

Many questions float through her head as the car continues the road, the rumble of other cars and trucks going by. Wouldn't one of them notice something off, try to investigate this man? What about his wife? Would she be helping the police? Unless Arthur killed her… Emma's stomach twists at the thought and a shiver runs up her spine. But surely someone would find the body and the search would be on, wouldn't it? Why hadn't the police at the state border checked the trunk? How has he not been identified already? Would they find where she had been held in his house? Maybe get some evidence and begin tracking him? What about his children? Wouldn't they be considered missing too?

The last thing she remembered hearing was Arthur's voice, talking to someone and then the engine revving to life beneath her. The entire vehicle took off at an unusually high speed and Emma was hoping and praying that the police were giving chase. Did they know that Arthur had her and apparently his children? From the several days in the back of the trunk, Emma had heard conversations between the man and his children. From what she could hear, he had a daughter named Megan and a son named Ben. Both were quite young from what she heard and neither knew what was going on. Why their father picked them up and likely drove them out of the state? Why they were constantly moving around and their father was acting so strangely. It made Emma extremely sick and infuriated that such a twisted man could be a loving and doting father and be able to keep such a secret. Emma had tried to make noise in the back of the trunk, kicking and making what noise she could through the tape, but Arthur's response was to turn the radio up to drown out her calls for help. However, for the past few hours, she hasn't heard any children's voices, meaning he might have abandoned them. Now it was just the two of them, which made everything that much more upsetting and twisted.

As the hours seemed to drag on, Emma began thinking about those she loved. She missed them so much, especially her son. She wondered what Henry would be doing at this moment. Crying probably, wanting answers. Her heart aches at imagining her son waiting helplessly at home while his mother was a million miles away. Did he know what had happened to her? Was he giving up hope already? She prays he has at least Regina or David and Mary Margret there to take care of him… to tell him that everything would be okay… which is wasn't. She imagines what David must be going through, hopefully fighting tooth and nail to find her. She wasn't going to lose hope in the Boston police… not yet anyways. She knew David and even Leroy would work their asses off to bring her home. She thinks about her best friend, has she had their baby yet? Was it a girl or a boy? If it was a girl would they name it after her if they thought she was dead? What would happen since she wasn't there to be the godmother? She thought of Regina, a friend who had been there for Emma since Neal left five years ago, a form of comfort and care. Their friendship was certainly complicated, but surely Regina would take care of Henry and help in any way she could.

Finally, she thought of Killian. His pain would probably be as bad as Henry's. She thought of his eyes, his lively, soulful blue eyes, the ones that had caught her attention from across the bar, a few months ago, which felt like such a long time now. His mischievous half smile that made his face even more attractive to her. His smooth Irish voice, it was soft, but also meaningful, like there was something more to the way he spoke. A deep context and a painful past that he wished to hide from her. She could tell he struggled with his demons, much like how she fought with hers. She had found that he could drink heavily, especially after a hard day at work and he smoked too. She had found his secret stash of cigarettes one time when she went over to the apartment for dinner. She only knew so much about the docks man. He lost his entire family under many different circumstances, the death of his brother, Liam hit him the hardest. Additionally, he lost his last girlfriend, Milah to cancer not long before they met, and it surprised her that he was still able to stand after all the hardships he'd endured. Clearly, he liked to drink his pain away, but Emma had learned a long time ago that this was never the answer. She tried ever so gently to take him off the alcohol and talk to her or even see a therapist if he so desired. It seemed that he wanted to leave his past behind and clean himself up, but she knew he would struggle, especially since she was now gone.

 _This will push him over the edge,_ Emma thought to herself. _His only hope is to realize that he needs help and reach out to David and Mary Margret. He needs to talk to someone, anyone. He must be saved!_

She begins to tear up slightly. Soon there's no holding back and all the pent up emotion comes streaming from her eyes. It's slight relief, but it's also useful. Her tears will weaken the tape around her eyes. She knows she needs to try and escape, anyway she can. Arthur cannot be allowed to fulfill his plans with her. If she doesn't get away, she may never be able to get home again.

Emma continues to squirm and try and loosen the tape on her hands and feet, continuing to cry and wet the tape around her mouth. She needed to get away before he took her too far away from her home.

However, unbeknownst to her and the police, he was actually taking her back towards Massachusetts…

 _Hey readers, here's the next chapter, sorry if it's a bit shorter. Hopefully, I will be able to update more over the next week since it's reading week for my university. Thank you for the amazing comments._


	42. Chapter 42

Arthur sits behind the wheel, weaving through late night traffic, his heart pounding loudly. He had mere minutes to escape with Emma. Seconds even, he knew how fast police could drive and he never looked back to see if he could see his children one more time, likely for the last time. It did not, however, stop him from crying as he left. The choices he made, what he did to keep the family together… it all fell apart.

He pulled from the parking lot and sped out into traffic. He got as far up the highway as he could before the sounds of sirens rang in his ears. Like every other law abiding citizen, he pulled to the side to allow the police to pass through on their way, smiling quietly to himself as he went.

Once they were passed, he drove away, away from his children, away from being caught, away from the life he once had.

Now, he's out in the countryside of New Haven, Connecticut, unsure of what to do next. He is literally at a crossroads.

He was wanted for multiple kidnappings, he still had one hostage in the trunk, he was likely wanted for the assault of his wife, the multiple rapes of Emma Swan, his physical assaults on her too, evading police, credit card fraud and probably a few other crimes that he couldn't remember or really cared about recalling.

He continues to drive, acting as if nothing was wrong, while a woman was bound and gagged in the back of his trunk. A woman, who had a family, who had friends, a job and a life of her own and he had taken it all away from her…

 _For a good reason, of course,_ his mind told him. _You want a family..._

"I've always wanted a bigger family," Arthur says quietly to himself. "A family worth waking up in the morning for and Gwen…" He swallows a lump in his throat. Gwen took that all away. She never told him anything, she never asked how he felt, she just did it… he could understand why, financial strain, but the two of them should have made the decision together like they were supposed to.

"If Gwen had just talked to me…" he sighs. _None of this would've had to happen._

 _Now what?_ His mind asks.

 _Good question_ , Arthur ponders. _The police will be looking everywhere for me and Miss Swan, no doubt the kids will identify the car. I have to get off the roads soon._

 _Could you go to Canada?_

 _There have been serious crackdowns there. Those Mounties do very thorough job nowadays_

 _Mexico?_

 _With the wall going up are you nuts?_

 _And you can't very well take her on a plane without being caught…_

 _I know. I'll be all over the news and I can't keep her in the trunk for nine months or however long…_

 _Some cabin in the woods?_

Arthur pauses at the thought.

 _That might be a good idea, as long it's not in a horror movie. But somewhere very far into the woods where she won't be able to escape very easily. She'd either die from exhaustion or hypothermia before anyone found her._

 _Are there places like that?_

 _I'm sure there are except… I don't know anything about Connecticut. Zero… nada… zip_

 _You do know a lot about Massachusetts though..._

 _That is true…_

 _Plus, the police would expect you to try and cross the border to another state, not go back to the scene of the crime._

 _Another good point. It would be much easier if I was hiding in plain sight._

 _Yes, it would._

 _You've won me over, we're going back to Massachusetts_

 _A very good idea. You'll have to stop and feed her, though._

 _Yeah, and I need to refill on gas._

…

Crossing the state border was not a real problem for Arthur, especially through the countryside. Arthur had stopped at a gas station to refill the car and get food. Then he pulled into a remote location to give Emma something to eat. She continually swore at him but ate what he gave her before he gagged her again. He did tell her that she'd be out of the trunk soon.

 _Not soon enough!_ Emma thought. Then she might have a way to escape.

Once over the border again, Arthur headed in any given direction, keeping to the country roads. He'd been driving for many hours and was getting very tired. He pulled over to rest, sleeping for a few hours. Then he took out a map of Massachusetts and studied it by flashlight on the side of the road.

He looked at the list of national parks. Surely a few had remote hunting cabins, some that might be abandoned or foreclosed on.

The following morning, he drives into a small town whose name he doesn't care to remember. He asks a man at a local supermarket where he might find a place to rent a hunting cabin. The man directs him to a ranger's station just outside one of the main recreational parks. Arthur gets a listing of them. He asks the head ranger if there were ones that were not used very often and the man points them out. Arthur thanks him and tells the ranger that he'll be in touch very soon about renting one of the cabins. This is a lie of course, but he acts like he's going back the way he came. He waits an hour or so before going back, into the forest.

He's following the map to the most remote cabins he can find, driving along dirt and gravel paths. The vehicle shifts and sways quite a lot, causing Emma to be thrown around in the trunk. Her body aches even more with the constant movement. She can't hear cars anymore and can vaguely smell pine and wet leaves. Her heart beats in her ears. She's worried that he might be taking her to a remote area to dump her body. Then she reminds herself that he needs her to become pregnant and carry a baby.

 _He won't kill me… not yet anyways._

She assumes that he might be taking her some place where no one would try to find her. She would still find a way. She always would.

Arthur finally pulls up to a cabin that looks a bit run down, but still livable. There is ivy growing along the sides of the wood, the dirt path that passes for a driveway is quite overgrown and the entire roof seems to sag in just a little bit.

"It's perfect," he smiles to himself. They are so far in the woods, there's no way Emma could run.

He pulls the car around behind the cabin, killing many saplings as he goes and finally stops the car. He climbs up the creaking porch and peers inside one of the windows. Completely empty and in disarray. Clearly, no one comes here very often, if at all.

Arthur approaches the trunk and slowly opens it, almost excited for what will come next.

"Well, Emma," he says to her. "Welcome to your new home."

 _Hey, readers. Here's a new chapter. Sorry if it is a bit short, been a bit busy even though it's reading week for me. Please keep reviewing and thank you so much!_


	43. Chapter 43

Neal paces back and forth in his motel room. He'd called August more than a day ago and was still waiting for him to call to tell him he was on his way.

August was actually originally a friend of Emma's. He had been the one who found Emma after she had been abandoned on the side of the road. Both were orphans "allegedly" and grew up together, often being handed from foster home to foster home. The two bonded, looking out for one another and considered themselves brother and sister. However, when her "brother" turned eighteen, he moved out into the world on his own, promising his "sister" that once he had found a place to live, he'd take her in. That did not happen however for reasons that only he knew, leaving a young Emma betrayed and without hope for finally escaping the foster system. August went on to study to become a private investigator and managed to track down his real father, a carpenter in a small town in Wisconsin. Apparently, there was a huge complicated issue that arose; his parents had split up while his mother was still pregnant with him. Why that was, he never knew because his mother was in a terrible car accident after he was born. She tragically died, leaving her son in the tiny apartment alone. He was only discovered a day later by neighbours because of his crying. Since the courts had no way to track down his father, he was thrown into the foster system. August ended up running away, much like Emma did when he was young and found a crying baby by the side of the road. Knowing he could not care for a baby or leave her there, he went back to the orphanage.

Neal and Emma both met August by chance a few years back. She was still very upset about what her "brother" had done, breaking his promise like that, but August apologized and he hit it off with Neal. Emma reluctantly went along with their friendship and still did not particularly like August, until he offered to her to find her real parents. Once he had become a private investigator, he thought he should make it up to Emma to find her real parents like he found his. His former sister refused outright, not wanting to open up that old wound, but she was slightly impressed that her surrogate brother was willing to find her birth parents. The two had mutual respect after that, not much else. August and Neal both stayed in touch even after the latter left his family, but the two had drifted apart and lost contact until now. Neal knew that August would do anything to help find Emma, so he called him to help. Sometimes the police are not enough.

Neal lays on the bed he'd been sleeping for the past week and a half. He should have anticipated that his stay would be much longer, but his fiancée… not so much. Tamara called him every night and asked if he was coming home soon. She only asked about Emma once, the first night, the rest was all groveled about how she missed him and that the apartment was not the same without him. She also told him about wedding plans and she did want him to be present for at least some of them.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but everything's just a mess and I can't leave…"

"But I really miss you," she says in an almost whining voice.

"I miss you too, but I need to be here for Henry, that's what Emma would want."

"And you're sure she didn't run off?" Tamara asks skeptically.

Neal swallows an angry lump in his throat. "No, Emma would never leave Henry behind. I might've, but not her."

"Okay, well can you give me a window of time of when you might be back?"

"I can't say, Tammy, just try to understand…"

"I'm trying baby I really am, it's just not the same without you around to hold me."

"Hopefully it will go by faster than you think. I've hired August to help with the investigation."

"You mean August, the private investigator?"

"Yes."

"Who was Emma's friend?"

"Yes."

"And how long has it been since you've talked to him."

Neal grimaces. "A year."

"I hope you know what you're doing,"

"I do…" _I think!_

Suddenly Neal's phone beeps, indicating another call.

"I need to go, Sweetheart, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay…" Tamara sighs before she hangs up. He can hear the sadness in her voice.

Neal switches callers.

"Hello?"

"Neal, it's August,"

"Hi, how are you?"

"I'm fine, I'm about an hour away from Boston, traffic is horrendous right now."

"Okay, well I'll give you the address of where to meet me, I figured you need a cup of coffee."

"I do, also you need to gather as much information as you can so I have something to work with when I get there."

"I will," Neal says.

"I'll see you later," August says before hanging up.

Neal hangs up his phone and begins to scroll through it to pass the time. He looks through his photos. Most of them are of Tamara and him, especially the ones after their engagement; there are a few photos of him with various clients from the auto dealership, as well as at his grand opening. He goes about three years back where he finds the photos of Emma, Henry and him. Neal swallows a large lump in his throat as he looks at what used to be. Happy and smiling faces; the time he and Henry had a water balloon fight in the apartment parking lot, him and Emma toasting in the new year with glasses of wine, her engagement ring still prominent on her finger. A trip to an amusement park, with him and Henry in bumper cars and the three of them on a Ferris Wheel and a few other nice, happy family photos.

Neal fights back some of his tears, holding the phone to his chest as if this will make him closer to his ex-fiancée and son. He messed up big time and he was likely to pay for it the rest of his life. Emma had definitely moved on with her life, and so had he… mostly. He still thought of what might've been. Would he and Emma have bought a house in the suburbs? Married in a civil ceremony with a few friends? Watch as Henry graduated high school and went off to college? Would they grow old together?

Now it seemed like he would never know.

For some strange reason, Neal's finger dials his son's new cell phone number. His thumb hesitates over the call button.

"Hello?"

"Hey buddy,"

"Dad?"

"Yeah, how are you?"

"I'm fine I guess."

"Where are you right now?"

"At home, doing algebra."

"Oh, that was never my favourite either."

There's a pause.

"We just came back from moving the camp bed into the apartment. Killian will be released from the hospital in the next few days."

"Oh right, how is he doing?"

"He's sad… and upset that he did something so stupid."

"It was kind of stupid, but I would've done the same thing."

"You would?"

"If I was still with your mom, I might be on a boat to China right now."

There's another pause.

"Who's with you right now?"

"Mary Margret and Regina. Ruby left a couple hours ago."

"Well I'm glad she's gone; my jaw is not completely healed from our last encounter."

"I still can't believe she did that to you," Henry says sympathetically.

"I don't blame her… after what I did to you guys."

This pause is the longest yet. Neither of them knows what to say, but what can one really say to a father who walked out on you three years ago and you mother is missing, abducted by a maniac...

"M-Maybe you can help me with this question," Henry suggests. "Mary Margret's asleep and Regina's watching _Suits_ and I don't want to disturb her. She's also not really happy about having to move in her for the next few weeks."

"Right, okay I'll warn you now, I was never good at algebra,"

Neal and Henry spend the next little while talking about homework and school. Henry does not mention his crush on Violet, but they just talk in general. It's almost like they were recapturing some of the lost time.

When Neal checks the clock radio on his nightstand he realizes he's late to his meeting with August.

"Oh shit! Sorry, Henry."

"It's okay Dad, Mom's used a lot worse in the past."

"Yeah, she does have quite a mouth sometimes."

The two laugh a little before the crushing reality of where Emma was cut it short.

"I have to go Henry; I'll hopefully see you tomorrow."

"O-Okay Dad, bye."

Neal hangs up quickly, pulls on his jacket and rushes out the door.

He drives to the address he'd given August, a small café not far from the motel. He walks in and sees a man with dark brown hair, a beard and blue eyes sitting in a corner booth, looking at a menu. He wears a dark leather jacket, biker pants and thick leather boots, which seem to anchor the man to the ground. Neal walks over to join him.

"You're late," August says with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Sorry, I was talking with Henry and I lost track of time."

"How is the kid doing?"

"As good as a kid whose mother has been abducted by a monster."

"Right," August says, taking out a notepad and paper. Neal could see there were tons of sticky notes in it and pages upon pages of handwritten notes.

"Most people like to type things these days, but I still find handwriting the evidence very useful," August says, mostly to himself.

Neal nods.

"So I heard some segment on what happened on the news. I was so shocked. I wanted to come to Boston as soon as possible, but some stupid divorce case got in the way. One spouse wanted me to spy on the other to get any dirt on them. Anyways, not important, tell me what happened."

"Would you folks like something to drink?" A pretty blonde waitress with the nametag saying _Abigail_ and gold accessories all over, including a gold nose ring stares at them.

"Just coffee for me please," Neal says.

"I'd like a coffee and a small cup of soup, please," August says.

"Coming right up."

"Okay," August says. "Tell me what happened."

Neal spends the next hour telling August everything over drinks, from the girls' night out to the evidence from Emma's phone to the new witness. August writes everything down frantically, circling a few things and underlining others and Neal could assume that he had questions or thought something might be important later. When Neal is done, August leans back.

"This will probably be my hardest case yet," the private investigator says.

"So you'll help?" Neal asks.

"Of course," August says. His eyes become watery. "I owe a lot to Emma and I know I can't ever make up for the promise I broke."

"Join the club brother," Neal mutters.

"When did you get back into town?"

"More than a week ago."

"Everyone else hates you?"

"Pretty much."

"That sucks bro, at least Henry still likes you."

"I'm not sure he does either, he actually treats me with kindness if that's what you mean."

August reaches over and pats Neal on the shoulder.

"We all make bad mistakes Neal, ones that hurt others. The only thing we can do now is to try to heal those wounds and it starts by finding Emma."

The two men pay for their food and walk outside. August goes over to where his motorcycle is parked.

"Is there a good motel around here?" August asks. "I'll need the space to gather evidence and lay out my notes."

"I'm staying at one, but I wouldn't recommend it."

"I'll find a place nearby," August shrugs. "Either that or I sleep on a park bench. I'm used to sleeping in weird places. I slept on someone's fire escape once."

"That's great August," Neal says. He reaches out to shake his hand.

"I'll work hard I promise," August says, accepting Neal's hand and then puts his helmet on. "We'll find Emma, don't worry."

"I wish I had your confidence," Neal says to himself as August revs the engine of his motorcycle and disappear into the Boston city streets.

 _Here's the next chapter, fortunately, it's a little longer. Thank you for the support and the reviews_


	44. Chapter 44

Emma still couldn't see anything. Her entire body ached from being in a cramped trunk for so long and her head ached from the anger she felt towards her captor and the lack oxygen she'd been receiving because of the gauze and the duct tape covering her mouth. At least now the vehicle had stopped moving and hopefully, she'll be able to find some way to escape.

When the cold autumn wind hits her face, Emma tries to breathe it in, clear her head as much as possible.

"Well, Emma, welcome to your new home."

Emma's skin crawls slightly at his words. He sounds very satisfied with what he's done and she knew he wasn't through with her yet.

Emma feels the two strong arms pick her up. She immediately wants to struggle against him, find a way to get loose but with her arms and legs bound, she wouldn't get very far. She'd be more likely to hurt herself and anger Arthur than anything else.

Arthur had gone into the cabin in advance and seen what it looked like. The place was covered in dust and cobwebs. It appeared to have been a nice place at one point with a nice chandelier, wide windows, a stone fireplace, plus couches, animal heads mounted in certain places, a small dining room and a kitchen that must've been comfy to cook in at one point. But it seemed that time had taken its toll on the place, the dust and cobwebs had overtaken practically everything, decorating the chandelier, the windows were clouded and gray, the fireplace was boarded up, the couches had various holes in them exposing springs and stuffing, the animal heads looked like demonic creatures, the dining room was covered in empty beer bottles, likely from various hunters looking for a means of escape and the table was missing a leg. The kitchen was also quite filthy, piled high with dirty dishes. The entire cabin was gloomy and smelled musty, clearly, no one had been around to care for it in a long time, which was perfect for Arthur. It wasn't much, but it could work.

Arthur brings Emma in and drops her on the dusty and rutted couch. Emma grunts angrily and tries to kick at Arthur with her bound feet.

"Don't be so angry," Arthur says. "I'm about to let you go, but if you keep this up, the woods is an awfully cold place to sleep."

Emma sighs angrily and tries to calm herself. She knows fighting with Arthur will get her nowhere, at least not right now. She lays still for a few moments to gather her bearings.

"That's better," Arthur says. He then reaches over and removes the tape from Emma's mouth, which fortunately was loosened by her own work. "You can scream as loud as you want, no one will hear you out here. There's no phones, no Internet, not a single person here… except us"

"Well, how am I supposed to know that when I can't see," Emma snaps back.

Arthur sighs and removes the duct tape from her eyes. Emma's green eyes blink furiously as they try to adjust to the limited light the cabin was providing.

"You're a monster," Emma says, trying to move into a more comfortable position on the couch.

"You realize that phrase doesn't bother me anymore,"

"Right because the last time I said it, you strangled me."

"I realize that I lost my temper there, but believe me, now that I know I'm safe, everything will be much better."

"For you maybe," Emma mutters. "You expect things are better in a place like this?"

"I'm not concerned," Arthur says. "You'll be cleaning it soon enough. I'm sure as a mother you've cleaned up hundreds of messes before."

Emma grinds her teeth together at the very sexist comment and bites her tongue to prevent herself from lashing out at him.

 _That means he'll let me out soon, then I can escape._

"But I will have to get a few things like food and cleaning supplies, why don't I show you your room,"

Arthur picks Emma up again, bridal style and walks towards the stairs. Emma immediately tries to lean over and bite Arthur, maybe get a shot at his neck.

"If you bite me, the stairs are an unfortunate place to fall down from."

Emma sighs impatiently and leans back.

Arthur takes her up the creaking stairs, down a narrow hallway. There's a crumbling bathroom with mold growing up from the tiles and down from the ceiling. The hallway is thick with dust and the floorboards creak with every passing step. Arthur takes Emma to the end of the hall, into a dimly lit bedroom with a small twin bed in the corner. The room smells of stale whiskey and rotting wood. It also smelled that something might've died in there as well. Arthur places Emma on the bed.

"I won't be gone for too long," he says. He then kisses Emma's forehead, causing her to turn away in anger.

"I will never give you what you want," she hisses in between her teeth.

"It's not like you have much of a choice," Arthur says, before shutting the creaky door. He then finds a heavy stone nearby and moves it in front of the door. He knows that Emma will attempt to escape, and he needed to prevent that.

He then goes down the stairs, listing all the things he will need in order to make this place a home for the two of them, and a prison.

Once the car starts, Emma braces herself. The sounds of twigs and gravel underneath the tires slowly fade into the distance. She then begins to turn her body to survey the room for anything that might cut her bonds.

The room was empty for the most part, except for the bed, a nightstand, a closet, ugly wallpaper to cover up the wooden walls and a clock that was broken at twelve minutes after 3.

Using her strength, she rolls off the bed and looks under it for anything that might help her. Worse comes to worse, she ends up using a spring from the mattress again.

…

 _I need to stop using Gwen's credit card_ , Arthur thinks to himself. _The cops will be able to track it._

He pulled into the town that took almost an hour to get to. He pulls into a hardware store to get some things he's sure to need. More chains, bars for the window, cleaning supplies, a hunting knife, etc. He tries to act as casually as possible.

"Lot of stuff you got there," the hardware man at the cash says.

"I'm fixing up a place," Arthur says.

"Really?"

"Yeah, my wife insists on not staying in a crumbling cabin, even though it would build character."

"Where is it?"

"Uh… hard to say really, we only just got here, but out there, pretty far."

"Well good luck to you," the man says. "Cash or credit?"

"Credit please."

Next, Arthur goes to a pharmacy, picking up medical supplies and pregnancy tests for Emma.

"Hoping for a new addition to the family eh?" the woman behind the counter asks him.

"That's right," Arthur says.

He's getting slightly annoyed with these people's sudden interest in his life. It's a small town, he must expect that the appearance of a new face would be interesting to them.

He goes to a used clothing store to buy things for himself and Emma. Lastly, he visits the local supermarket, picking up a mountain of food, which surprises the teenage bagger, fortunately, he doesn't ask very many questions.

Arthur drives home, knowing what he must do next.

…

Arthur spends most of the night putting bars on all the windows and installing new locks on the doors, several on the room where Emma is staying. Emma is still struggling to find something, anything to free herself. She manages to go to the closet and only finds some rusty hangers and a mountain of old plaid shirts and pants. Nothing of any use. Arthur does find an old rifle that might be useful for keeping Emma in line and he also gets the power going into the cabin.

Once the place is fairly escape-proof, he goes back to Emma. He finds her on the floor, panting and upset by her predicament. Arthur looks down at her.

"Duct tape is man's best friend," he says with a grin. He holds the hunting knife and the stun gun out as if to warn Emma about what he's going to do next.

Emma is ready to kick the weapons out of his hands at a moments notice. She knows that Arthur is going to cut her loose and she wants to be prepared.

Arthur rolls Emma onto her stomach and puts his knee on her back to hold her in place.

"You can run all you want," he says. "We're miles from the nearest town and no one can hear anything out here."

Emma feels the cold blade graze the back of her neck, sending chills down her spine. He slowly brings the knife down her arm towards the duct tape.

"All ask from you is cooperation and I promise…" he says as Emma feels her hands being freed. "I won't hurt you."

Emma immediately tries to turn and attack Arthur, but she hears the crackling of electricity and her body goes stiff from the stun gun. Her face goes down against the filthy floor and she can't move her limbs any further. Arthur cuts her legs free and he gets off her. He waits until Emma starts getting feeling back in her body. He puts the knife on his belt and grins up at her. Emma leaps up in an attempt to attack him but stops when she sees the stun gun.

"I want you to start making this place a bit more homelike," Arthur says.

Emma doesn't say anything, just stretches her limbs which are so stiff from being in the same position for so long. Her joints crack and she feels much relief. She stands, ready to run and attack, but with the gun and knife, she knows better than try to attack. She was just freed, she doesn't want to end up in the same position again.

"I want you to start cleaning and I have nothing better to do so if you try to run, I'll hit you again. I'm willing to be the stick behind the stubborn mule to make sure she does things right."

Emma glares at the man in anger. She wants so badly to wrap her hands around his neck, but if she tries to hurt him, he'll hurt her back. He'll put his own hands around her neck and strangle her into submission or very well kill her.

"I will present the reward of food and a night without the cuffs if you cooperate," Arthur says. He waves the stun gun in front of Emma. "Your choice mule."

…

The cleaning takes days, close to a week to complete. Emma is forced to clean the kitchen and the dishes, mop, and dust the floors, tear down the boarded-up fireplace and start a fire. Arthur is the only one who will chop wood, but he watches her from the window, a brand-new hatchet gleaming in the sunlight. Emma does her best to repair the broken table, get rid of any rodents in the place and overall be Arthur's housewife. Much like Cinderella, she was treated as a slave, but unlike Cinderella, she was chained up whenever Arthur felt like it.

He had begun to feed her regular meals, even though he would force her to cook most of them. She'd have to help him repair the bathroom, but they could only get cold water from the rusty shower head. Although she feels great relief to have her limbs free, Arthur is always over her shoulder, breathing down her neck with the knife and the stun gun ready. She was constantly watched by Arthur and stunned, chained to the bed and unnecessarily gagged in the evening times. Arthur would then have his way with her and leave her alone and naked on the bed, locked inside the room.

The next day the cycle would start all over again.

Emma knew she may have to kill Arthur to get out of this hellhole, but so far he had a hold on her, still forcing himself on her to get that baby. Emma just prayed that it wouldn't happen. She couldn't bear the thought of carrying this man's child.

Every night, she'd think more and more about Henry, Killian, and her friends. She needed to find them and they needed to find her by any means necessary. She couldn't stand living with this monster. She had to get out.

…

Another week had gone by and Emma was feeling weaker than ever before. Despite the hot meals and hygienic privileges, she was often tired and much weaker. She was dizzy more and more and couldn't stay on her feet for only so long. Arthur might've thought that he had finally threatened her into submission, but Emma knew otherwise. Something was wrong, Arthur hadn't drugged her in a long time, so it couldn't be that. It all became very clear one day.

Emma is scrubbing the bathroom, trying to clean the sink as much as possible. Arthur was outside, doing God knows what when Emma feels suddenly very ill. Her stomach turns violently and she barely makes it over to the toilet. She vomits the contents of her breakfast into the grimy bowl. Her head is pulsing and her limbs feel weak.

Once her stomach is empty, she attempts to stand up. She has to hold onto the sink for support. She's sweating as well and she drinks some water from the faucet. The sink suddenly sputters and stops working. Frustrated, she goes under the sink to look at the pipes. Down there, she sees a bunch of the medical supplies that Arthur bought and Emma's heart drops when she sees the pregnancy tests. She swallows hard and tries to avert her eyes.

 _You're just not feeling well living in this dump,_ she reassures herself. She fixes the valve under the sink and shuts the cupboard under the sink to forget about it.

 _It won't happen._ She thinks

 _My apologies to Tazzy Devil. I'll do my best not to make it too repetitive, I'm still working out on how to further my story. Please keep the reviews coming and maybe even offer me ideas._


	45. Chapter 45

"Mommy!" Megan says.

"Mommy!" Ben says.

"Oh my babies, my babies," Gwen weeps. She kneels to scoop both her son and daughter in her arms. She kisses both their faces a million times. She squeezes them tightly enough to make them stop breathing. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Mommy."

David, August, Jack and Nova watch the tearful reunion in the quiet room of the station. Several officers from the Connecticut police department had dropped the two youngsters off and are reviewing everything with David.

"The kids told me about the places they went to. Typical stuff, movies, amusement park rides, water slides and junk food," the first officer told him.

"Did they know their father was holding a hostage in the back of his car?"

"They said nothing of the sort and per their mother's request I told them that their father left with a woman who did not want to be with him."

"Neither child was the wiser, neither was traumatized," the second officer adds.

"And you're sure they didn't notice anything weird,"

"The daughter did note that the license plates were different,"

David grimaces. The sly bastard switched plates on them as to not to be detected.

"The only reason she noticed was that there were two eights that looked like snowmen."

"Did she get the official plate number?" David asks, grasping at straws.

"No."

 _Damn it!_ He thought. _There are a million liscense plates in the Boston state alone with double eights on them._

"They also said that their Dad shaved his head."

"The little one said he looked like Lex Luther,"

 _A million guys with shaved heads…_ David clenches his fists and leans against the window, watching Gwen comfort her children. He wants this bastard caught and behind bars. He wants Emma at home with her son, safe… It feels like they're going in circles.

"Is there anything else?" Nova asks, taking over for David.

"The roadblocks and car searches we did yielded nothing,"

"Thank you," David says. "For finding them."

"We're sorry we haven't found Miss Swan, but we will keep our eyes open," the first officer promises.

David shakes their hands and allows them to go. He needs something, anything that Gwen can tell him.

The mother looks at him in the window, her eyes red from crying. Her two children yawn and lean against their mother in exhaustion.

"Think it's time to let them go home," Nova says.

David nods. "We still need to stay in touch with them, he might call again. Probably asking for money because she said he was unemployed."

Nova puts her hand on his shoulder before turning to guide the mother and her children out.

August is busy taking notes from the entire conversation.

"I'll start looking into cars in the morning,"

"Why bother August?" David says in frustration. "There are over a million registered vehicles in the Boston area alone."

"But someone will have noticed if their plates were switched, I'll start calling around tomorrow," August says with some optimism. "Good night David."

"Good Night," David says.

And then there were two.

"Quite the optimist," Jack says. "He's very passionate about his work."

"He knows Emma, he grew up with her,"

"Oh, and you hired him?"

"No, apparently Neal, Emma's ex-fiancé did. He thinks we need help."

"We kind of do," Jack says wincing.

"Let's just not say anything to Gold okay? The last thing I need is to lose this case… and Emma."

"My lips are sealed, anyways I'm going home. I have a date tonight."

"With Elsa?"

Jack freezes. "How did you know?"

"You don't think I see you texting next to the evidence locker or how you smile when she comes to the station?"

"Y-You're not mad, are you?"

David looks at him. "You're not forbidden from dating Jack, go have a good time, just be careful, Elsa is a hard nut to crack."

Jack smiles and nods before leaving.

David sighs.

…

The following two weeks are agonizingly slow. Nothing new, no developments, Gwen has taken her children home and is trying to produce a form of normalcy for her children. David does keep in touch with her, in case anything changes or the man calls. He is getting more nervous with every passing day. Gold is watching him like a hawk, waiting to pounce, that he's sure about. Wanting the chance to shut the entire case down, but the lieutenant will fight tooth and nail to keep it open. Emma is still out there and she needs to be found.

He's been consulting with August who is doing some old-fashioned detective work; looking at vehicle registries or recent vandalisms or plate switches in the Boston area. From there, he will move to Connecticut. David does appreciate what the private investigator is trying to do, but it feels like this is going nowhere.

On a Friday morning, David is sitting at his desk, looking at witness statements when his cell phone buzzes. It's his wife.

"Hello?" he asks.

"David," Mary Margret says. She sounds frazzled.

"Mary, what's wrong?"

"It's the baby David, it's coming."

 _New baby drama. Sorry if it is a short chapter. Thank you for the comments, they mean a whole lot._


	46. Chapter 46

David runs for his car, grabbing his jacket on the way out.

"Who's with you?"

"Regina and Henry," the teacher pants.

"I'll meet you at the hospital," David says, before hanging up.

"Gold!" David hollers as he runs past the offices. "My wife's having the baby!"

The lieutenant doesn't say anything further as he's already out the door.

His heartbeat is in overdrive; he was going to be a father! It was scary and exciting at the same time. He begins sweating, fumbling with his car keys, trying to start the car up. He cannot think clearly as he backs out of the parking lot. In the back of his mind, he thinks about Emma and how she was going to miss this and she was one of the godmothers. Of all times for the baby to come, he wishes it was when his friend was safe and sound. He begins tearing up slightly, weaving through afternoon traffic, wanting to be in a police car so he could get to the hospital faster.

…

"Just take some deep breaths, Mary," Regina says as she also weaves through traffic.

Mary Margret is breathing heavily in the front seat, sweat beading on her brow.

She was in the middle of cooking some dinner for the full apartment when a sharp feeling of pain went through her like a bolt of lightning and her water broke.

"Regina!" she'd screamed. The teacher clung to the counter for support. Regina had been in another room helping Killian get used to his crutches when she heard the scream. Henry was just coming home from school when he saw Mary Margret in agonizing pain, trying to hold herself up.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked, coming into the room.

"M-My water broke, the baby's coming."

"Okay, remain calm," Regina said. "Did David have a bag or anything ready for when you went into labour,"

The teacher shook her head.

"Henry!" Regina ordered. "Find some clothes and put them in a duffle bag!"

Henry dropped his backpack and raced into Emma's room. He found one of the suitcases David and Mary Margret had been using. He shoved some comfortable clothing into it. Killian was watching, feeling rather helpless. He had just gotten out of the hospital the week prior; his concussion had just started to fade; his ribs and wrist were still wrapped in gauze and his leg in a cast. He knew he couldn't do anything to help them, he'd just slow everyone down, so he watched as Henry tore through the room packing into a duffle bag. At the last minute, he noticed a picture of Emma and Henry on the nightstand. It would be more of a symbolic gesture, but Emma deserved to be there for the birth.

"Oy, Henry!" he called out as the teen was about to leave the room.

"Here," he said, tossing the photo. Henry barely caught it.

The teen looked confused for a moment, but shoved it into the bag and then bolted down the hall of the apartment to his room. He went for his closet. He remembered seeing in a TV show that women who give birth like having a stuffed animal or something soft with them. Why that was he couldn't say, but he dug through a mountain of clothes and found a box of his old stuffed animals.

"Henry!" Regina's voice called out. "Let's go, hurry!"

"Just a sec!' was his response.

He found a stuffed lamb with a red ribbon around its neck; one that he thinks Ruby or Lacey gave to him when he turned four. He shoved it into the bag and races to join them. Regina was supporting Mary Margret as they hobbled out the door. The teen locked the apartment and followed the two women down to the BMW.

Now they were going towards the hospital at high speed, Henry trying to hold Mary Margret's hand the entire time. She squeezes it very tightly, almost to the point of crushing the bones in his hand, but he powers through.

"It hurts so bad," Mary Margret whimpers. She leans her head back as if this will numb the pain.

"Hang in there, we'll be at the hospital in a second," Regina says, as anxious as the mother to be.

…

David and Regina both pull into the hospital parking lot at the same time. Both drivers are too distracted to notice that they are about to crash into one another.

"Regina watch out!" Mary Margret screams and the BMW stops inches from David's bumper. David also stopped, honking his horn in confusion and rage until he saw his wife in the passenger seat. He shuts the car off and runs to the passenger door.

"Oh David," Mary Margret pants.

"It's going to be okay honey," he says, helping his wife out of the car. "Lean on me."

"This isn't happening David…" his wife whines as they head for the hospital. "This isn't happening."

"Take some deep breaths," Regina cuts in as she and Henry follow the couple inside.

The receptionist at the desk looks up at the approaching group.

"My wife is having her baby!" David calls out.

The receptionist pages for a nurse and several of them come with a wheelchair. As the teacher is being wheeled down the hall, the rest follow behind.

"How far apart are her contractions?" the head nurse asks.

"I'm not sure," David responds.

"When did her labour start?"

"I don't know,"

"How many days was it till her due date?"

"I don't know!" David practically barks. "I just got here from work!"

"Please sir, we understand that this is a stressful time for you, but please keep your volume down," the nurse says as they wheel Mary Margret through some doors. "Who was your wife's acting physician?"

"Dr. Whale," David says, glad he could answer at least one of the questions.

A male nurse stops Regina and Henry before they can go through.

"Are either of you family members?" he asks.

"Uh no but…" Regina begins.

"I'm sorry but you can't come through, you can both wait in the waiting room."

"Then at least give David this!" Henry says, shoving the bag into the nurse's arms.

"Will do," the man says. "The waiting room is just down the hall."

…

"Just breath deeply Mary," Dr. Whale says.

Mary Margret is laying in a hospital bed, her feet propped up and her body in agonizing pain. David had helped his wife change into a hospital robe and Dr. Whale met them to see how far along she is. The police officer who deals with hard criminals daily is scared shitless, pacing back and forth across the room while the doctor examines his wife.

"How is she?" David asks once the doctor is finished.

"She's about six centimeters dilated," the doctor told the father-to-be. "Contractions are every 3-5 minutes so far. I want you to stay with her while I go look in on another patient. I'll have a nurse bring her some ice chips soon and ask if she wants an epidural. Until then, keep her comfortable and maybe encourage her to walk around a little bit, changing positions is beneficial at this stage."

David is still pacing back and forth.

"Relax David," Dr. Whale says. "So far, everything is as it should be. I am a qualified doctor you know. Just try to remain calm make sure she's comfortable."

"Alright," the lieutenant sighs and watches as the doctor leaves the room.

"D-David," Mary Margret whimpers, reaching her arm out to him. She's already crying and her face is a mess of sweat.

"I'm here baby I'm here," he says, going over and grabbing her hand. He kisses her head and puts his arm around her.

"This isn't right David it isn't right!"

"What do you mean it isn't right?"

"E-Emma should be here! The godmother should be here!"

"I know honey I know," he says soothingly. He holds his lips on her head and takes in her scent.

"This shouldn't have happened!" she yells out. "Emma doesn't deserve this! She should be here David!"

"I know…"

"And you haven't found her yet! What's taking so long?!" his wife shouts, looking at him angrily.

David feels a large amount of guilt course through his body. It was true, he wasn't any closer to finding Emma than before. This man is so sneaky and so evil that he could evade capture for this long, and with Emma as his hostage. He beings to tear up, not answering her, but merely breathing deeply and holding his wife against him.

"You should have found her David!" Mary Margret practically wails. "You suck at your job!"

That remark hurt a little bit, but in a way, it was true, David was sucking at his job, he hadn't been able to rescue Emma in time to see the birth of their child. Both parents to know that Emma was looking forward to it, she had given them parenting advice and even some of Henry's old toys. She was the friend they needed right now and she was missing. He takes a minute to go and look into the duffle bag for anything to cheer his wife up. He finds a stuffed lamb and the photo of Emma and Henry.

He brings both over, putting them on the night stand.

"Emma is here, honey," he says, kissing her head.

Just then a nurse comes in to give them ice chips and offers an epidural. Mary Margret does want it, but she's shaking too much from being emotionally distraught and in pain that they can't inject the needle without running the risk of permanently paralyzing her.

David holds his wife tightly during each of her contractions. He helps her walk around a little bit and even gives her a back massage to try and calm her a little bit. Mary Margret continues to cry the entire time; the nurse assures David that it's just the hormones, but David knows that these are tears of despair and longing for a friend who wasn't here.

…

The contractions are getting closer and closer together. Dr. Whale in the room more frequently to check on her progress, until the teacher reaches ten centimeters.

"Alright, Mary I want you to breath deeply and then start pushing to my counts," the doctor orders. He puts on a pair of white surgical gloves and a mask in preparation for the delivery. Nurses surround him with cleaning supplies, surgical tools, and blankets, ready to handle the newborn infant.

David clings to his wife's hand and holds her up as she screams in pain.

"Three, two, one… relax!" Dr. Whale says.

Mary Margret leans back. Her hair is a mess and her face is shiny with sweat. "I can't do it, David, I can't," Mary Margret gasps.

"Yes, you can!" David says, kissing her. "I'm here for you honey. I'm here for you. We're going to do this together!"

"Next contraction, Mary start pushing."

"We'll do it together," David whispers to her. Mary Margret leans forward to the doctor's count, her husband with her every step of the way.

"It hurts so bad!" the mother-to-be cries out.

"You're doing fine Mary, it's crowning, it's crowning!"

David has an urge to go and see the top of his child's head but he can't leave his wife. He will stay with her the entire time, no matter how bone crushing her grasp may be.

"Another push Mary we're almost there!" Dr. Whale calls out.

Mary screams in agony.

"One more push!"

In a final scream, a new life enters the world.

The most beautiful sound that either parent has ever heard reaches their ears. A baby's cry; their baby's cry, it's soft and frightening, but it's music to their ears.

"It's a boy," Dr. Whale says, holding up a tiny wriggling infant covered in blood and other fluids for the parents to see.

Mary Margret immediately begins to cry and smiles as her son continues to cry, confused by where in the world he was. She begins to laugh at the same time, overwhelmed with joy and happiness by this precious little life. David soon follows suit, looking at his beautiful son, squirming in the doctor's hands.

"He's amazing," David gasps, kissing his wife.

"He's so beautiful," Mary Margret weeps.

Dr. Whale hands the baby to the nurses to be cleaned up and weighed, this, of course, sets the new mother off.

"Where are you going with him?" she shrieks.

"It's okay honey, they're just cleaning him up."

"Please be careful he's my baby!" she whimpers.

The nurse nods and Mary leans back in great exhaustion. She turns her head to gaze lovingly into her husband's blue eyes. David holds her hand tightly, returning the gesture and smiling.

"I love you," David whispers.

"I love you too," Mary Margret answers.

The new parents lean in for a tender kiss.

…

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Regina and Henry are joined soon enough by most of their friends. Regina had texted Ruby to bring Killian to the hospital and to send the word out that the baby was coming.

All of them wait anxiously for news. Anna brought some sunflowers in a bouquet for the mother and a tiny little yellow hat for the baby. Ruby also brought gifts including some balloons, a card, and a stuffed bear. Lacey was the last to come, bringing a brand new stuffed lamb with a yellow ribbon tied around its neck, confirming to Henry who had given him the present when he was little. Even Jack and Nova show up after their shift at the station to see the new arrival.

"My money is on a girl," Aurora says, bouncing her own son in her lap.

"I'm with you," Anna chirps happily. "I hope she looks like Snow."

"I think it will be a young lad," Killian says.

"I hope it's a boy too," Henry adds quietly.

Just then Neal walks in with August. Neal has a bouquet of flowers for Snow. The group in the waiting room suddenly becomes very quiet.

"Hello," Neal says to the stunned crowd. "Has the nurse said anything yet?"

"Nothing," Regina says, coldly.

He and August take a seat away from the disapproving eyes.

"I think I might have a lead in terms of the license plate," August says to Neal.

"Really?"

"Yeah, in a small town in Connecticut, a man reported that his license was swapped for a Massachusetts plates. He took it to the car registry and they took down the plate numbers. I'm going to ask that woman Gwendolyn if these are the plates of her car."

"That's good to hear," Neal says. "That'll be good to tell David."

Neal looks over towards his son and catches his gaze. The father gives a small smile to his son, which he returns reluctantly.

A nurse comes out and is slightly surprised by the number of people in the room. "Are you all friends of David and Mary Margret Nolan?"

"Yes," Ruby says standing up. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. They are ready to have guests to meet their newborn son,"

The whole room smiles at the joy of this news. Henry and Killian smile triumphantly for guessing the gender correctly.

"You will have to come a few at a time, they requested Regina, Henry, and Killian to meet him first."

"Us why us?" Henry asks. Ruby and several of the others look a bit disappointed.

"I don't have the faintest idea," is the answer from the nurse. "Please follow me."

…

Mary Margret holds their newborn son in their arms. She can't stop smiling at the tiny little life in her arms. The little one is asleep now, bundled up in many blankets and wearing a small hat. He was six pounds seven ounces, a healthy weight for a newborn and settled down once he was cleaned up. He is now making tiny noises as he dreams. The new parents did get to see his lovely blue eyes to match his father's. He has a tiny clump of hair that looks black, but they will have to wait and see what colour it is as he grows.

"He's so beautiful," she whispers, looking up at David. "I knew he would look like you."

David smiles and reaches over to touch his son's cheek. He then puts his large finger near his son's tiny hand, the baby, in response, grabs onto his father's finger and squeezes it. David tears up slightly.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier," Mary Margret whispers, taking her eyes off her son.

"It's alright, you were in pain and you were right, I have been sucking at my job recently."

"No David, you aren't bad at your job, not by a mile, you're never going to give up on finding Emma and you're doing an amazing job at that."

The two lean in for a tender kiss before there is a knock at the door. Regina, Killian, with some help, and Henry enter the room.

"Is it okay to come in?" Regina asks.

"Of course," Mary Margret says, she leans down a bit to show her son better as the trio approach the bed.

It doesn't take long for Regina to burst into happy tears once she sees the little face.

"He's beautiful," she whispers, smiling.

Killian is equally touched by the lovely sight. A handsome young lad.

"A chip off the old block," Killian says, reaching over to pat David on the shoulder.

Henry looks on at the tiny baby in silence. He just might cry as well, but he fights them back. He reaches out and touches the blanket of the new arrival.

"Henry," Mary Margret says quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Would you and Killian like to be the godfathers?"

"Really?" Killian asks.

Suddenly, the docks man is overwhelmed with emotion. Happiness, joy…sadness. He'd never been asked to be a godfather before. It was mostly symbolic, but he felt like part of this family. He's been alone for so long, losing those he loved, but now, with this new arrival, it was a new beginning. He felt like someone important and that he was loved.

"Of course," Mary Margret says.

"I'd be honoured," Killian says gently, tearing up himself.

Henry just nods.

"Would you like to hold him, Henry?" David asks.

Henry is surprised at first and then nods again.

With careful hands, Mary Margret hands her son to her husband, who in turn hands the tiny one to Henry. David tells him how to hold the infant and soon the teen is cradling the newborn.

Henry breaks down at that moment, thinking about his mom and how she wasn't here. He missed her so much, she deserved to see this. He looks down at the tiny innocent face and cries, not able to hold back anymore.

Regina reaches over and puts her arms around Henry to comfort him. Killian, with difficulty, puts his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I miss her," he whispers.

"We all do buddy," David says gently.

Almost at the same time, they look at the photo of Emma and Henry on the bedside table. The air of sadness comes back as reality disrupted the moment of happy bliss. Emma should be here to welcome the new baby, instead of being held by a monster. The group sits in silence for a long while, not a dry eye to be seen, except for the baby. They cry over their missing friend, girlfriend or mother. After such a happy event, it felt that the world was being cruel to them, taking away someone they loved, putting her into a hostile and evil situation.

There was hope and for now, hope was all they had.

 _Thanks to another anonymous author, you can't do contentless chapters as author's notes. Let me just go on record that I was unaware of this and have deleted the chapter. For the person who reported my story, if you don't like this story don't read it._

 _..._

 _SPOILERS!_

 _I'm just responding to some of my anonymous reviews about the baby and the dragging out._

 _To reassure my readers, Emma is pregnant with Killian's baby, Killian did not use a condom all the time during their weekend together. But Arthur will think it's his and this will lighten up the abuse on Emma. This will likely lead to some emotional turmoil for Emma. I'm really sorry this is dragging on for some readers and I'm sad that you don't want to read anymore but to each his/her own. I will be doing the credit card check and I'm still ironing out the details of what will happen. I really want to Emma have some problem with delivery, forcing Arthur to take her to the hospital where she and the baby can be rescued. I have a bunch of other things I want to develop but I realize that many of you are getting bored. I don't want to rush the series, but I also don't want to ruin it and lose all my readers. You can probably see my dilemma. I might save the best stuff until after classes are done which will be another month and a bit more. (Fortunately, I only have one exam this semester so I'll be back on the wagon pretty fast). This way I'll have more creative freedom and save the best for the spring._

 _Thank you to all my readers and followers, it means the world to me. I'll do my best to keep you engrossed and I'm sorry to see other people get bored and leave. Thanks for being with me until now. Please bear with me and I hope it will be worth it._

 _Thank you,_

 _Number Ten_

 _Hey readers, thank you for all your support in the comments about me continuing this series, especially ElizaMassani and littleox2009. it means the world to me. The support makes up for some of the negative comments I get. I will reassure you though that I will be doing some time skips like several months etc. It won't be like a Harry Potter or Twilight book. What do you think the baby's name should be? Let me know._


	47. Chapter 47

_There must be a way to get out of here!_ Emma thinks to herself.

She stares into what seems like infinite forest surrounding them on all sides. Arthur had told her that they were far enough away that no one would find them. There was no chance of calling or contacting the police. She didn't know where she was. She was a princess imprisoned in a tower, literally. She spent most of her time in what no one could call a room, it was filthy, small and damp with only a bed, nightstand, and a broken clock.

At least Arthur was not tying her up anymore. She was free to roam about the house, cleaning mostly, but also cooking for him. She wasn't sure where he was getting the food, but it was fresh enough. Many times, when she was at the stove, she wished that she had some poison or anything that might allow her to grab the keys and escape. She thought about knockout drugs or rat poison, but clearly, her captor knew better than to leave anything lethal within her reach. He kept the weapons out in his car or on him at all times and any pain killers or knock-out drugs were also kept away from her. There had to be a way to escape. She needed to get out of here before the worst could happen.

Emma's stomach suddenly turns violently again and her head begins to throb.

 _Not again!_ She thinks. She bolts to the bathroom and vomits in the toilet. It's an intense bout of sickness as Emma begins to sweat and her body is shaking afterward.

 _This better not be what…_ she says, propping her arms up against the bowl. She gazes downwards, trying to put the thought out of her mind, but it keeps coming back up.

She squeezes her eyes shut tightly, to stop the tears from falling.

 _I can't think about this! I can't give him what he wants!_

Her heart pounds against her chest in agony and anxiety. She doesn't know how long she's been in captivity. Too long for any normal person, but she estimates that it would most likely have been a month, maybe a little bit more.

She starts doing the math in her head. Was she late? It could just be the stress she was under that caused a delay.

Emma stands up from the toilet and gazes at herself in the cracked and dirty mirror.

 _This is not happening! You're just sick of being in this hell hole!_ She tells herself. _There's no way it could be…_

Emma sees a thin woman with green eyes staring back at her. Her blonde hair is thin and limp, losing a lot of its shine from being kept inside. Her eyes were beyond bloodshot from crying and pure exhaustion and dark circles formed under each to reflect that. She was a lot thinner than before, likely from the lack of food and some of her muscles had deteriorated. She had bruises on her wrists where she had been bound and there were fading marks on her neck where Arthur had tried to strangle her. She was a ghost, a shadow of her former self. In this piece of glass, there was a woman weak and alone, having been beaten down and smashed to almost her breaking point. She never thought of herself as helpless and she always knew she'd have to take care of herself. Even when she and Neal were together, she always watched out for herself and did things on her own. It was the way her life had always been, since the day she was born. No one wanted her and so she had to look after herself.

However, now she was starting to question her capability. This man was treating her like a slave, his sex slave, leaving her vulnerable and helpless, keeping control of her with threats and on the odd occasion, actual weapons. She couldn't bow down to his pressures and threats. She couldn't develop Stockholm Syndrome. She had to keep her head.

Emma thinks about those who are missing her. Poor Henry… and Killian, and David and Mary Margret. Ruby and Regina, and all her friends, the people who cared for her. She knew she had to get back to them. Emma used to think that she never needed anyone but herself, it's how life made her feel, but now she knew she needed those who loved her, they made her who she was. They were keeping her sane and preventing her from ever thinking that this situation was a "good" living arrangement. She had to keep fighting.

The only problem was, she felt weaker now. Her body had taken so much abuse that she wasn't what she used to be. Her head was throbbing and as she leaned against the sink her arms shook. All she had the strength to do was cry.

 _What is happening to me?_ She says, fighting back more tears.

There's a knock at the door.

"Emma, are you in there?" the deep and rough voice of Arthur asks.

 _He has the audacity to call me by my first name!_ she growls to herself. _Like he's my friend or something. The bastard has a lot of nerve. Then again… he is holding me hostage._

"Emma open the door!" he barks.

Emma looks at herself once more in the mirror before opening the door, pushing past Arthur and going to her room. She wanted so badly to fight him, try and grab the hunting knife he kept, but her body protested in every way possible. She goes to what could pass as a bed and lays down. Her head continues to throb and she tries to block out the rest of the world. Arthur stares at her for a long few minutes in the doorway before closing the door and then locking it behind him.

…

Nothing changes over the next week. Emma is sick each morning, leaving her weak and tired all the time. Arthur is noticing and Emma's fear grows with each passing day. She's crying a lot more. She did have a lot to cry about, but it was continuous, making her feels dehydrated afterward.

Emma would keep herself awake at night thinking about what this could mean. She kept denying it over and over, but all the signs were saying otherwise. It had been a long time since she'd had Henry, but the symptoms were so very similar. She was sixteen when she had her son, very scared, even with Neal there with her. She remembers the first few months because they were a nightmare, she couldn't keep anything down and she cried for no reason at all. Neal did his best to comfort her, but he was seventeen and didn't know any better either. The only thing he could do was hold her hair out of her face as she threw up. She was inexperienced then and she was inexperienced now, especially considering the circumstances.

Fear grew inside Emma to the point that she would shake and curl up into a ball.

 _This can't be happening!_ She would think over and over. _I can't give him what he wants. If it is a baby, its life will be ruined. It will come from rape for God's sake! What will happen once I have it? Will he kill me? Force me to marry him and raise it, like some sick twisted fantasy?_

This gave the woman something to cry about. She'd cry even more over the thought. She hated herself and what had become of her. She couldn't have a baby… not like this.

…

One morning, after another bout of sickness, Emma sits back, her entire body burning from the experience. She wipes the sweat from her brow.

 _Isn't it better to know than later?_ Her mind is telling her.

 _I can't give him what he wants!_ She insists. _I can't bring a child into the world like this. It's just wrong!_

 _Is it even his?_

That thought stops her for a moment.

 _Could it be Killian's? He is the only other person who's seen me naked and it was the only consensual intercourse I've had._

Neal had been gone for three years and any dates she went on after him and before Killian did not end in the bedroom. It would either be Killian or Arthur.

Her mind races back to her weekend with Killian. It feels so long ago. She remembers the way he held her so tightly, his hot breath in her ear, his soft lips all over her body. The passion and intimacy the two of them shared the warmth of their two bodies together, arms holding one another tightly, their lips pressing against one another.

The memory makes Emma smile, feeling warm inside, but she also tears up. She tries to remember… he used protection, she was sure of that, but condoms were a one-time use. Did they have enough?

Emma's heart sunk into her stomach. It seemed unlikely that Killian would forget protection, but she couldn't be sure. They were both caught up in the moment… it was possible.

She curls up into a ball, pulling her knees to her chest. She still couldn't say and she didn't know how far along she'd be. She needed an ultrasound to know for sure, but it was next to impossible that Arthur would buy such a thing or take her see a doctor.

Emma stares at the cupboard under the sink where she'd seen that medical supplies. She didn't want to do it. Maybe it was better that she didn't know at all? Maybe if she told him she couldn't have children anymore, maybe he'd let her go… or kill her. But he'd seen her throwing up, most likely heard it too. It wouldn't work.

With shaky hands, Emma crawls over to the cupboard and opens it. She finds the pregnancy tests underneath. She opens the door and checks to see if Arthur is anywhere in sight. She locks the bathroom door and unwraps one of the tests.

She knows how it works and she follows the instructions carefully.

Her hand shakes violently once she's done. She's crying again. The same feelings she felt back when she had Henry come flooding back, only this time they are more intense.

She waits, with the test in her hand, waiting to see that sign.

 _You all know what's on that test. Thank you for the supportive reviews and have a good night._


	48. Chapter 48

"Have we decided on a name yet?" one of the nurses asks as Mary Margret is learning to breastfeed her son.

Both parents look down at their nursing son and then at each other.

"Jacob," Mary Margret says.

"Jacob Leon Robert Nolan," David says with a smile.

"That is quite a handsome name," the nurse says gently. "I'll come back for him later."

Soon the couple is left on their own once more. They can't keep their eyes off their son. Their hospital room is filled with presents from their friends and David's phone is buzzing with congratulatory messages from officers at the station.

"He looks so much like you," Mary Margret whispers, stroking her son's tiny cheek. A few tears roll down her cheeks. "I just wish Emma was here to meet him."

"Me too," David says, kissing his wife's head. "But keep hoping for the best, without hope, you have lost everything."

The new mother nods and watches her son sleep peacefully in her arms.

"He is our new beacon of hope," she whispers.

…

"Sir are you sure that this is your license plate number?" August asks over the phone. He sits in a coffee shop with his laptop and a notepad open. He had just got in touch with the man in Connecticut who claimed that his plates were switched a few weeks back.

The voice on the other end confirms it.

"Thank you so much sir and where were you when this happened?"

As the private investigator listens to the response, he sees a redhead and a light-haired man walk in together. He recognizes the redhead from the hospital, one of Emma's friends, but the man is new. He doesn't think much of it until they sit down with their coffees together, within eavesdropping distance of the PI. He tries to take notes from the witness on the phone, but the redhead begins speaking very loudly, limiting his hearing.

"Robin, if you really want this custody crap to be over with, just hire me," Zelena was saying.

"I don't know Zelena…" Robin says, sipping his coffee.

"Robin, I'm a fully qualified lawyer and I've hardly ever lost a case. Divorce cases are my specialty. I helped Regina through her two divorces."

Robin's blue eyes go wide.

"R-Regina was married?"

"Yeah twice," Zelena says, her red lips curling into a smile. "Very long and drawn out cases, the finances were the biggest problem."

"Why… why did they end?"

"I think both were over infidelity…" Zelena pauses. "Her mostly, but one of the reasons the second one listed on the papers was that she was very controlling and manipulative."

The personal trainer takes a deep sip of coffee, trying to process this information. Regina didn't seem like that type of person at all. She seemed like a sweet and selfless woman. Hardly to be considered controlling or manipulative.

"But the caboose on that train wreck was that she couldn't have children, that was actually one of the reasons her first husband gave…"

Robin again doesn't want to speak. He knows this isn't right, talking about Regina's private life like this and yet Zelena keeps going on and on, bashing her half-sister in every way that she can. In fact, most of their current conversations were about how bad Regina was or how selfish she could be. This could hardly be considered a date, Zelena had kind of forced him to accompany her to the coffee shop, but it certainly didn't feel very romantic or interesting. Robin found himself staring into Zelena's blue eyes, thinking about anything but her… and more specifically anyone.

Suddenly, Zelena's phone rings and she answers it without hesitation.

"Hello?" she says. "Yes… yes… oh really… Does he want to settle? That's great I'll be right over," she hangs up and looks at her reluctant "date" with his coffee.

"I'm really sorry Robin, but that was the firm and the opposing client wants to settle. I have to go," she explains, pulling her things together.

"That's… perfectly all right," he says. However, inside of him, he feels great relief.

"I'll text you later," she says, kissing him on the cheek before heading out the door.

August had been watching this interaction, pretending to be typing something, but really listening in. He could tell that Zelena had some sort of ulterior motive. After studying so many clients for so long, he could tell based on body language and tone of voice when someone was genuine or not. He knew Zelena had some interest in Robin, but no romantically. This was all for revenge against Regina. She just wanted to get under her half-sister's skin by pretending to date him and bashing her at any chance she got. It was meant to ruin Regina's chance of being with this man and then maybe, her cold revenge dish would be served.

 _Cold hearted witch_ , August thought to himself as he typed something into his computer. He kept an eye on this Robin from the corner of his eye. Clearly, this poor man was overwhelmed and very confused, he was merely a pawn in this villainous redhead's game. From the information that the PI had heard, the man was having a hard enough time on his own with a divorce and custody, the last thing he needed was some vixen trying to use him to get even with her sister.

Robin eventually finishes his coffee and leaves the shop. He's on his way up the street when he spots a pale-faced woman with long raven hair walking along, coming over to his side of the street. Her dark eyes recognize his face and her red lips pull into a smile.

"Robin?" she says.

"Hello Regina,"

"How are you?"

"I'm alright, I suppose," he answers.

"You suppose?" Regina says, cocking her head to the side. "Is something wrong with Roland?"

 _Is she actually concerned for my child?_ Robin thinks to himself.

"Uh no, I've just had a rather hard day, Marian has been non-stop with the phone calls and half my trainees didn't show up today. And on top of that, I've had the most unpleasant conversation with someone on what I think was kind of a date."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she says sympathetically. She then gets a pleasant smile on her face. "Would you like to see something to cheer you up?"

Robin swallows. He begins to get lost in Regina's deep brown eyes. His heart races as he takes on her beautiful face.

 _How could someone so beautiful be so manipulative and have two failed marriages?_

"Uh, Robin?" Regina says in confusion. "Earth to Robin."

"Sorry," he says, coming out of his trance. "Sure, I would like that very much."

"Just let me get a coffee and I'll show you something that will make your day."

…

"He is really handsome," Robin says. He stands at the window looking into the nursery in the hospital. Jacob is on the far right in his tiny little hat and swaddled in a hospital blanket. Several other babies around him cry, but he waves his tiny fist around as if trying to get someone's attention.

"He certainly was very sturdy, considering what his mother went through in the past month," Regina says. "He also has a pair of lungs."

"He definitely has his father's eyes," Robin comments, a smile on his face. Regina had been right, this did make him feel better, seeing a brand-new life wiggle and explore, so small and innocent. It reminds him of how much of a blessing life is and how sometimes you have to stop and look for the smaller and happier joys in life.

"He really does," she sighs. Regina swallows a large lump in her throat, thinking that this was as close as she would ever get to holding a baby.

"He reminds me of Roland," Robin says reflectively. "He gave us quite a scare, coming a few weeks earlier than expected. I always thought that he was in a rush to see the world. He's still like that now, always curious."

Regina forces a smile on her face, but tears are welling up in her eyes.

She turns away from the window and starts to walk away.

"R-Regina," her companion says, rushing to catch up with her. Her reaches out and touches her shoulder.

"Leave me alone," she whispers.

"Not when a woman is crying like this," Robin says. He forces Regina to turn around and face him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing that you would understand," she says quietly, wiping a few tears from her eyes. She tries to turn away again, but Robin keeps her facing him. She keeps downcast at her shoes and the floor.

"Regina, if your hurting, it's better to tell someone about it… I promise I won't judge you. I can lend a sympathetic ear like you did for me."

Regina doesn't want to look at Robin, she's too embarrassed and she's afraid. She doesn't want to drag him into her problems, especially since he already had a life of his own with a child… while she… was sleeping on a camp bed in her friend's apartment and had a man who was hardly ever around for her to talk with. Her life was just a complicated mess, something this nice and handsome man didn't need.

"Regina," Robin warns. "I won't let go until you tell me."

She locks eyes with this man and her heart melts. His bold blue eyes and strong chin made her just want to fall into his arms and never have him let her go. She wanted Robin so badly, but her life, in general, was so complicated and it already seemed like Zelena had her sights set on him anyways. It made her sad and angry at the same time, but one look at Robin's eyes and she gave in.

She told him everything that was bothering her, from not having a child to her unstable relationship and everything in between. She told him that she felt so empty and those stupid mistakes she made in her teens cost her what should be one of the best experiences of her life. She even goes as far to tell him about her failed marriages, unknowingly unraveling her sister's lies. The two sit in some chairs in the hospital, Regina's head on Robin's shoulder as he listens. She feels so at home with him. She feels she can trust him and that he won't judge her for any reason. She just wants to hold him tight and never let him go. She wants him for herself, and yet he had his own problems, a wife, a child, a career… everything that made her life so inferior to his.

When she's done talking, the two sit in silence, watching the doctors and nurses move around the hospital doing their jobs, ignoring the two people with very messy lives and very complicated problems.

"I'm really sorry you feel so awful Regina," Robin says. "It must not be easy to endure such tragedies in your life. I really wish there was a way I could make you feel better."

Regina leans up from Robin's shoulder, becoming lost in his eyes. Very slowly the two lean forward and their lips meet. For a brief moment, the world becomes quiet and the two people with very messy lives become one, lost in the love and comfort both provided.

 _Sorry if this chapter isn't very good, it's more of a filler. I was really distracted by the Oscars tonight. Peace to all, good night._


	49. Chapter 49

"And you're certain this is the plate number?" David asks August.

August sits in David's office with the new information that he's gathered. He's decided to keep in close contact with the police. Even though he's not employed by the law, they are the ones who will bring this guy to justice. At the same time, the private investigator will be able to do things that the police couldn't, like not having to report to a supervisor and using high-tech spy equipment.

"100%" the private investigator nods. "I double checked with him, he says that he was coming back from a business trip and was staying in a motel in Connecticut. When he got home, his partner noticed that his plates had been switched."

"Well now we know we're looking for the right car," David says, so relieved. He turns to Jack in the corner.

"I want to set up a news conference for today if possible. I want all this new evidence to be given to the public. We must make sure Emma's face doesn't fade from the media any more than it has. We know she's alive and we have to find her before he tries to move again. The word needs to go out to look for this car, with the license plate and Arthur King himself. If he's keeping Emma somewhere, if they can't find her, the public can find him."

"I'm on it David," Jack nods.

"I also want the public to be told that the children have been found. I also want an update on his description, the kids told the Connecticut officers that he'd shaved his head."

"Anything else?" the young officer asks.

"Pray that we get some leads."

David then radios for Nova to come in.

"What's up, David?" she asks.

"I want you to get in touch with all the state border patrols to be on the lookout for the car, but also see if you can get any security footage to any of the states that are adjacent to Connecticut and that includes Massachusetts."

"I'm on it,"

"Give them the description of the car and our number," David says, handing her the information.

"Will do Lieutenant. How are Mary and the baby doing by the way?"

"We brought him home yesterday, he's such a strong little guy."

"Keeping you up at night though huh?" Nova asks, noticing the bags under David's eyes.

"He's got quite the pair of lungs," the new father says, cracking a tired smile.

"Just like his Daddy," Nova teases before exiting the office.

David goes back to his desk and begins to add August's notes to the file.

"Do you really think this guy would come back into Massachusetts?" August asks.

"It would make sense if you think about it," David says. "It'd be a smart move. He could assume that all of us would be keeping an eye on the Mexican and Canadian borders and not watching the state borders. He could be right under our noses and keep Emma hostage for as long as he wants. Also, Boston is only one of many cities in this state alone and if he's somewhere else, he's out of our reach and we can't arrest him."

August nods, putting his hand over his face and scratching his dark beard. "That is very true. Small towns, hamlets or even the country would be a great place to hide. If you were in a large city, you could not keep a hostage very well, especially in an apartment building, but you would get more cover. In a small town, you could keep a hostage quite easily but people would notice the new face easily…"

"Are you thinking of calling small towns in Massachusetts and ask if there are new faces?" David asks.

"It does seem kind of unrealistic, stupid even, but it's a start…" August says, writing down a few things in his notebook.

"Do you want some extra man power?" David asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Leroy was part of Emma's department until Gold fired him. He wants to stay involved with finding Emma… you could hire him to help you out."

"It would be nice to have some extra hands," August nods.

"And maybe Killian Jones too? He's out of work with his broken leg and he desperately wants to find Emma too."

"Neal could help as well," August ponders.

David swallows a lump in his throat and just nods. While the officer can hardly forgive the man for what he did to Henry and Emma, he was the one who called August in the first place, proving that he did care about finding her.

"Can I get Leroy and Killian's number?" August asks.

"Sure," and he writes them out for the PI.

"Thanks, I'll call you if anything comes up."

…

"Oh, Mary he's so beautiful," Aurora coos gently as she holds her own son over the crib to peer down a little Jacob.

"Baby Mommy!" Phillip Jr. says, pointing at the tiny infant in the crib.

"That's right honey, a baby."

Mary Margret sits in a rocking chair and gives Aurora a tired smile. She rocks back and forth, resting as her son has been keeping her up all night. As much as it was a joy to be a mother, it was very exhausting. She knew this way before hand, but all the parenting books and Lamaze classes cannot prepare you for when you bring the baby home. You could prepare all you wanted, but raising a baby is more of learning on a curve.

"It's not easy, is it?" Aurora says sympathetically, as she puts her son down on the floor to play with the toys that Jacob was too young for. "Just wait until after they turn one, you'll want those sleepless nights back."

"For someone who works with children all day, you'd think I'd be ready for this."

"Well, think of it this way; you only have to deal with those kids for six hours a day, then you can go home and open a bottle of Sangria. When you're a mom, you deal with them 24/7.

The teacher forces herself to smile, she lays back and rests her eyes. Her body feels so weak and tired. Despite being on maternity leave, it felt like there was never enough hours in the day to feed her son, keep the house clean, do laundry, change her son, cook meals, buy groceries, put her son to sleep and so on. She felt so much like a housewife from the 50's now. Her new life barely allowed her to spend time with David, help with finding Emma anymore, make sure Henry and Killian were doing okay etc. Regina had taken over the latter of those jobs, but Mary still felt as useless as before. A new individual depended heavily on her, more than her best friend in a dire situation.

She slowly dozes off in the chair and Aurora decides to take her son home to allow the mother to sleep.

But, less than two hours later, Jacob woke up screaming, throwing the world into chaos once again.

…

"Are you serious?" Killian asks as August stands with Leroy and Neal at the door of Emma's apartment.

"It really would help me out if I had some extra hands. If you help me, we might be able to find Emma faster," August explains.

Killian flushes a shade of red. As much as he wants to help find Emma, he's not sure if he's comfortable with working with Neal.

"And you're all prepared to help?" Killian asks, eyeing Neal harshly. Neal tries to avoid Emma's boyfriend's gaze but then looks him in the eyes.

"I'm the one who brought August here in first place. I still care about Emma, Killian. I don't care what you think of me, but I care about bringing her home to her son. I want her home, safe and sound."

Killian swallows. Emma's ex-fiancé sounds genuine, but he's still skeptical. Maybe he's worried that once Emma is found, she'll want to go back to Neal. Killian's stomach twists at the thought, but then again, it's been three years. If Emma was going to go back to Neal, or he wanted to get back together with her, he would've done so by now. Plus, sitting around the house recovering from his injuries is becoming boring. He'd grown annoyed of Regina's constant phone calls to clients and apparently, her DJ suitor. Plus, the only exercise he can get is going to the kitchen or bathroom and back again. He also knows that Regina is bitching and whining about basically being Killian's nursemaid while raising Henry at the same time.

"Alright," the docks man says. "I'll help, just tell me what to do,"

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door.

August turns around and opens it. Elsa and Anna stand there. Elsa is dressed in her work uniform and Anna, jeans and a t-shirt.

"Hello?" he asks in confusion. "How can I help you?"

"I heard from Jack at the station about you starting to investigate small towns and I would like to volunteer Anna."

The red-head looks very disgruntled, most likely that she was forced to come here by her sister.

"Anna is currently not working and needs to get out of the house more."

"Elsa I told you…"

The blonde turns to her sister.

"Look, Anna, I know you're trying to get a music career going, but you can do a lot more good right now by helping the private investigator."

Anna continues to glare at her sister and then looks at August.

"Uh… that's fine if she wants to help, but I can't pay her anything."

"That's fine," Elsa says. "As long as she had something to do she's fine."

Anna opens her mouth to speak, but her sister basically shoves her into the room.

"I'll be back after my shift," she says, leaving before Anna has the chance to protest.

"Come on in Miss Anna," August says, stepping aside. "Welcome aboard."

…

David makes sure his badge is on straight as he prepares to go out in front the cameras. Nova and Jack stand by his side.

"Do I look okay?" David asks, a little nervous. Even though he's done press conferences before, being in front of the public did make him nervous.

"You'll do fine Dave," Nova says, patting him on the shoulder.

"He most certainly will," a voice says, coming up behind them. They all turn to see Commissioner Gold decked out in his full uniform, including his hat. "Because he will not be doing this conference."

David's eyes go wide; he begins to glare at the commissioner and his heart begins to pound. He clenches his fists in preparation for having yet another fight with Gold. He knew it was only a matter of time before Gold tried to pull this case. They weren't making sufficient progress so he was going to shelve the case. David knew he would not go down that easily, he'd fight tooth and nail to keep Emma's case going.

The three officers speak at once.

"But Sir," Nova begins. "David is the leading investigator on this case."

"You better not be shutting this case down because so help me…" David warns.

"How could you?" Jack asks angrily.

Gold holds his hand up to silence the officers. They all glare at him, but fall silent.

"I believe you misunderstood what I meant," Gold says calmly. "David will not be doing the conference because I will be."

David looks confused and his eyes are wide.

"Y-you mean you're not closing the case?" he asks.

"No by a mile," Gold says.

"Why are you doing it when David is the one who knows the facts of the case?" Nova asks.

"Why the change of heart?" Jack asks.

Gold straightens a medal on his uniform before speaking.

"All very good questions, but I suppose the main reason I am doing this is because ever since I found out that I have a grandson and his mother is now being held by an evil man… Due to recent events, I've realized that I must do my part in supporting this case and finding her. First thing Monday morning, I'm coming on your team Lieutenant,"

David's mouth is open in shock.

"As a worker?" Nova asks suspiciously.

"As a worker," the commissioner nods. "As a man who lost his mother at a very young age and after Bae's mother left, I realized that family is most important and every boy should have a mother in his life. I plan to end this awful cycle that seems to be plaguing this family and do my part to assist in bring Miss Swan home safe and sound."

"Do you mean that?" David asks.

"Every word, now if you will be so kind Lieutenant, give me the information I must say to the press."

As David reluctantly gives Gold his notes, Nova raises her eyebrows. She doesn't buy Gold's act, not for a moment. He's always being a selfish and narcissistic person and didn't care about anyone but himself. Why would he magically have a change of heart now? From what Leroy told her about when Gold met his son again, things were strained, to say the least. She figured this was Gold's way of showing his son that he cared and that he wanted to reconnect with him. Prove himself to his son that he was a good person again. She also suspected that the woman Lacey had something to do with it. He seemed to have fallen for the woman and the commissioner was now likely trying to prove himself to her as well, showing her that he was a caring person. As Gold steps, up to the podium in front of all the flashing cameras, she continues to look at him skeptically, waiting for his slip up to confirm her theory.

"Good evening," Gold says. "The Boston Police Department are partially pleased to announce that we have had some recent leads in the case of Miss Emma Swan, who was abducted on September 15th, 2016. There were also AMBER alerts that went out for the two children, who were also believed to have been kidnapped by the suspect known by the name Arthur Julius King. I am pleased to report to you that the children have been found safe and unharmed and were returned to their mother. The family will also be put into protective custody until such time as Arthur King is caught. However, Miss Swan was not found with them and I regret to inform you is still missing. We have reason to believe that this man Arthur King has a terrible agenda for her, but has not killed her. Instead, he is holding this woman against her will. We do have an updated description of the man and the vehicle in which he was driving. We also have the license plate number, which was switched with a man in Connecticut, who wishes to remain anonymous at this moment."

Gold then gives the description of the vehicle, of Arthur King and the license plate number.

"We have reason to believe that Arthur King may be attempting to cross the state borders or the country borders with Miss Swan. If you see the vehicle or spot this man or his victim, please report to your local police station. On behalf of Miss Swan's family and friends and the Boston Police Department, we thank you. I will now take a few questions from reporters."

As the reporters shout different questions at the commissioner, Nova continues to glare at him angrily, not in the least bit convinced that Gold actually cares about Emma. All he wants is to put the station in a good light and to change his own image.

"Don't believe that bullshit," Nova says through gritted teeth to David. "He doesn't care at all."

"That's what I assumed the second he said he would work for me," David whispers back. "If he thinks he can waltz in and take over the investigation, he has another thing coming.

…

The apartment is crowded with Emma's friends and family. Even the very tired Mary Margret and David with their new baby are there. Ruby, MeyLing, Regina, Lacey and even Zelena are starting to help August in his investigation. They decided that working at night together could add more firepower to Emma's search and that thing would get done much faster if they all helped. The room is abuzz with chatter and comparisons of notes.

"Are you sure he could still be in Massachusetts?" MeyLing asks August. "And in a small town too?"

"It would make a lot of sense," Ruby says. She had only agreed to help with this, if Neal went home early that is, which he did. "I mean if I was a kidnapper…"

Henry watches reluctantly from the hallway. He wanted to help so badly, but he was stuck doing homework and most of the adults were trying not to overwhelm him too much by adding this nighttime investigation to his load. While he appreciated their concern, he'd much rather be doing something important than algebra.

He goes back into his room, sad that he hadn't really had the chance to talk to his dad that much either. Nobody in his living room wanted to talk to him and Neal had gone without saying much to Henry.

Henry sits on his bed, trying to focus on a problem when his phone begins buzzing. He assumes it might be Violet, asking how he was or about something from Spanish class. He checks the ID. It's an unknown number. Then he assumes it might be a telemarketer or someone who has the wrong number. He answers it.

"Hello?" he asks.

"H-Henry? Is that you?" a shaky voice asks.

The teen nearly drops his phone.

"M-Mom?!"

 _Big cliffhanger here. Taking the advice of one of my reviewers about what should happen next. This should make up for the short chapter last week. Thank you for the reviews and follows. Peace to all, good night._


	50. Chapter 50

_Serious trigger warning: contemplation of suicide here. Please if you are depressed and feel suicidal, please seek help or talk to someone. it's never too late and the world needs you here._

Emma woke in the morning feeling as she always did now. Angry and sick. After taking the pregnancy test that confirmed her worst fears, she began to hide more and more in the room of this prison. She knew she couldn't have a child. Not here. What would become of this helpless baby and more importantly her? She was fulfilling Arthur's purpose for her, what would happen when the baby was born? Would he take it away and kill her or force her to raise it as their own, in some twisted family fantasy.

Emma stares out the barred window as the sun rises over the trees. Several birds on a nearby oak tree begin singing. The happiness and cheer in their voices made Emma very mad to the point that she picks up a nearby stone and chucks it at the window. The glass shatters instantly, leaving large shards everywhere and falling to the ground. The noise causes the birds to fly off in fear and the sound of shattered glass echo through the miles of forest. Emma then begins to beat the bars angrily, looking for a loose screw or something.

She accidentally slices her hand a bit on a shard. She pulls back and watches how the blood flows, dripping from her hand to the floor. She slowly pries a rather large piece still attached to the window frame. She holds the filthy glass in her hands, seeing her tired and frightened face in the reflection. She turns the piece over and holds it close to her wrist.

 _If I do it…_ she thinks. _He won't be able to get the baby. A baby should not be born like this… and I'll be free of him for good._

Her hands begin to shake and tears flood her eyes. Several drops of blood from her cut drip onto the glass.

Facing death is terrifying in the most obvious way. To fall asleep never to wake up again, to be free of the horrors, stresses, and misfortunes of life, to be in eternal and peaceful sleep… She squeezes the tears from her eyes.

The thought of Henry… her son. The light of her world, the reason she got out of bed every day. What would he think when he found out his mother had killed herself to be free? He just might copy her actions. She can barely imagine the devastation on his face when she's brought in on a metal slab. He'd have nothing left…

 _It would spare him some of this pain, though… to at least know where I am now._

Then there was Killian, their relationship had barely begun when she was snatched from the streets, never to see his beautiful blue, hear his Irish accent, feel his soft lips on hers. Merely thinking about him sends her heart into a frenzy.

She thinks about Mary Margret and David, and their new baby, who would likely be born by now… How much they would miss her… be as devastated as her son and boyfriend over her death. Her friends, standing at her coffin, wondering why in the world she didn't try to escape and hold out for hope. Lastly, she thought of her unborn child. Trapped in eternal darkness, never even having the chance to live. That was much worse than what Arthur had done to her.

Emma swallows her pain and looks at the piece of glass once more.

 _This baby might be a product of evil, but it still deserves to live…_ she thinks to herself. _But he doesn't…_

She holds the glass the way one might hold a knife, the sharp edges would be good for her escape. She could hide behind the door and surprise him, or better yet, the closet! Emma shuffles to the closet as heavy boot sounds slowly begin to ascend the stairs. She holds her breath, putting on a brave face, letting her training kick in again. She would force him to let her go or in the end just kill him… she had to escape.

The door's lock bangs and clunks as Arthur unlocks Emma's room.

"What the hell is going on in here?" he barks angrily. He storms into the room and looks at the broken window.

"You bitch!" he hisses angrily, getting closer to the window to examine the damage. "You think this is a good idea, especially with winter coming?" he says. He then scans the room and realizes that Emma's missing.

 _That's impossible_ , he thinks. His heart begins to race in great anxiety. _With bars on the windows, she can't go anywhere._

He goes over to the bed and even throws the blanket off the bed in a futile attempt to find her. He kicks over her nightstand in anger and begins to prowl around the room, waiting.

Emma held her breath in tightly, her hand beginning to sweat, or maybe it was the blood running down her hand. She grasped the shard, ready to attack. Just as he came within distance, she sprung from the closet without a sound.

She leaps onto his back and does her best to put the glass shard near his neck, enough to get him into a suitable hostage pose. However, Arthur, although taken by surprise, began to thrash with Emma, turning in circles and scratching at any part of Emma that was in contact with his body. His wound that Gwen gave him was still very sensitive to touch and it made the weight of Emma unbearable. Emma does her best to try and hold him still, until Arthur backs up against a wall, causing Emma to whack her head to the point where she can see stars and lets go of the glass shard. She falls against the frame of the closet, stunned and in pain. With his full body regained, Arthur turns and to look at Emma. He spots the glass shard and stomps on it several times to ensure it could not be used as a weapon again. While Emma is trying to gather her bearings, Arthur pulls out his hunting knife, kneels and puts the blade at Emma's throat. His hostage is still dizzy from the attack and in pain, that she can't focus on the face in front of her.

"I should've known that you would try to escape like this," Arthur hisses. Emma can feel the cold blade against her throat. She can't see his face and her whole body becomes still in fear. "Girls, like you don't give up that easy, do they?" He slowly dances the knife gently along her throat, causing Emma to gasp out in pain and fear. Arthur smiles as she squirms, pinned against the wall with no place to go.

"Poor little Emma," he taunts. "Tough on the outside, but weak on the inside. I'd love to carve you up like a turkey, but in your condition, I'd rather not risk it... Let's try not to fight like this again"

Emma can feel hot tears coming. She gasps for breath against the cold blade, trying to sound brave.

"Y-You know?" she whispers.

"Of course I know, I had children of my own, didn't I? I know when a woman is getting sick and I know when there is a used positive test in the backyard."

Emma gasps. After the test concluded that she was pregnant, she managed to open the window and toss it into the forest. She wanted to hide this horrible reality from this evil man for as long as was humanly possible. Obviously, it wasn't enough.

Emma is shaking slightly from the cold piece of metal against her throat. Arthur slowly brings the knife down and uses the dull end to trace her stomach. So many chills go down Emma's spine and her entire body seems to fail her. She's numb to the point where her limbs won't move anymore, not to try and attack Arthur or anything. Plus, with her throbbing head, she's completely helpless.

Arthur laughs as he traces her abdomen and then looks up at her. He grabs her chin roughly and presses her head against the wall.

"Let's try not to have another disagreement like this, okay? I want this baby to alive and well for the next few months. Now I have to go into town and get a new pane of glass. I may as well go for dinner there too. A night away from each other might be just what I need."

He then finally releases her, stands up and locks the door as he goes.

Emma is left like a limp rag doll until the sounds of the car engine starting up to begin and pull over the fallen leaves.

Emma pulls herself up into a ball and begins to cry. She cries over everything that's happened.

 _Please just end it all right now!_ She pleads in her mind.

…

Once she's calm again, Emma crawls weakly over to where the tiny pieces of glass are. She slowly sweeps them into her hand and then tosses them out the now open window. A very cold breeze swirls into her room, causing more goosebumps to form over her frail body. A few birds have taken their place on a nearby branch and begin to sing again.

If only these birds could carry a message for me, Emma sighs. But that's only in fairy tales.

Emma then begins to scream as loud as she can.

"HELP! CAN ANYONE HELP ME?!" she yells out, hoping and praying that some hiker will hear her and want to investigate. Her frightened, but determined voice echoes out into the forest, causing the birds to fly off in fear. She shouts for someone, anyone to help her.

She continues to yell for the good part of an hour until her voice is hoarse and her throat is dry. Emma moves back from the window and then remembers the cut from the window frame. Since she's locked in the bedroom, she can't get any medical supplies. The cut is not bleeding that much anymore, but Emma knows she'll have to wrap it. She rips a scrap of cloth from the blanket on the ground to wrap it when she hears plastic against the hardwood floor. Emma pulls the blanket up and her heart nearly stops.

On the floor is a cell phone. The cheap type from a dollar store, a burner phone. It was red and a flip phone. Emma's heart begins racing. It's as if someone was finally giving her some good luck. Arthur must've dropped the phone when he was looking for her or during their scuffle.

Emma fumbles with the burner phone. Her hands shaking in relief and excitement that she will be able to call for help. She wraps her hand and then turns the phone on.

She then dials 911 and holds it up to her ear. She begins rehearsing what she is going to say when someone answers. Her chance at freedom has finally come. She's crying happy tears. She wasn't going to be a prisoner for much longer. She can barely contain her excitement as she waits to hear a ring.

However, the phone beeps and Emma sees that there is not service in the area. Desperate, Emma rushes to the window, holds the phone outside through the bars to try and get a signal and dials the number again. The phone continues to beep with absolutely nothing.

Emma spends the rest of the day trying to get the phone to work. Her hopes of escape slowly dwindling with each passing minute. Arthur would be home soon and realize the phone is missing… then he might do something to her… and her baby. Emma even tries to take apart old coat hangers and use them to strengthen the signal, but nothing.

As night falls in the forest, Emma is hungry, tired, alone and very scared. Her hope is fading and she knows her chance to escape was gone if it was a chance at all. She can feel tears welling up again. She sits by the broken window and instinctively dials Henry's cell phone number. Even though it was unlikely that the call would go through, she wanted to hear her son's voice again.

She puts the phone to her ear, wanting some form of hallucination where she could actually talk to Henry, be so happy to hear his laugh and his awkward changing voice. Maybe talk to Killian too, hearing his gentle accent against her ear. Mary Margret's enthusiastic and loud voice, David's sighs of relief at knowing that she was alive…

Emma gives a weak smile when suddenly there is a noise at the other end.

"Hello?" a voice that Emma had not heard in so long asks. Emma nearly drops the phone out the window in shock and amazement. Fresh tears flow from her eyes in joy and hope. Her heart races and her throat tightens as if she might not speak at all. Realizing that she'll have to say something;

"H-Henry?" she says in a raspy voice.

"M-Mom?!"

 _Here's how Emma got the phone. Next chapter is her plea for help._


	51. Chapter 51

Henry can barely speak as he realizes that he is really talking to his mother. It's not some dream or a sick joke by someone else. He immediately begins to tear up. He rushes from his room and down the hall into the crowded living room. He's practically panting. Many look up at him.

"What is it, Henry?" Regina asks, standing up to go to him.

"M-Mom…" Henry says barely managing to get the words out.

"What do you mean?" David asks.

Henry puts his phone on speaker.

"Mom, can you hear me?"

"Yes Henry, I can hear you. Where are you? Who are you talking to?"

The room gasps all at once and rushes over as best they can. David grabs the phone from Henry in a frenzy.

"Emma is that you?" he nearly shouts.

"It is, David," Emma says, so happy to hear a familiar voice. She begins tearing up, overwhelmed with joy.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

"I could be better at this point," she sighs weakly.

Killian is stumbling over with his crutches, inundated by emotion. His heart is threatening to burst through his chest in joy but also anxiety and fear. He fights his way through the crowd of people to at least hear his beloved Emma more clearly.

David brings Henry's phone to a computer and hooks it up. He begins to try and collect data from it, August directing him the entire way.

"Where the hell are you?" Ruby yells into the phone.

"I-I don't know exactly, in some cabin in the woods," Emma says.

"Do you know where this cabin is?" David asks.

Emma's stomach twists. "I'm sorry I don't. I was blindfolded for most of the trip."

"What did he do to you, Emma?" David asks.

"What happened that night at the bar?" Lacey calls out.

"Were you held in that man's home?" Regina asks.

"Is the man still with you?"

"Has he hurt you?"

"Has he threatened you?"

The questions should be overwhelming to her, but they are a comfort to Emma. To hear her friends' voices again and her son's, it's such a relief. She hopes David can put a trace on the call and they will be able to find her faster.

"Emma, is there any way that you can escape right now?" August asks loudly.

"Who is that?" she asks, not recognizing the voice on the other end.

"It's August," he answers.

Her heart sinks just a little bit but then fills with hope as she remembered that August was a private investigator and could find anyone.

"Long time no see huh?" he says in good humor. "We're going to find you, Emma."

Emma smiles and laughs through her tears. "Thank you, August."

"Emma, is there any way you can escape?" the private investigator asks.

"It's going to be hard, he has me locked in the room right now and there are bars on the window. I tried to threaten him this morning and I ended up getting hurt."

Killian's hands clench into fists and his face flushes in anger. This bloody bastard was hurting Emma, leaving her weak and wounded. He took in a sharp breath as if trying to calm himself.

"Can you at least describe your surrounding area?" David asks he's paged several of his officers to be on standby. The problem is that Henry's phone and the computer cannot seem to pick up the signal. August grabs his notepad.

Emma stands up and looks out the window, squinting into the darkness. She uses bits and pieces of her time around the other parts of the house to help with her description.

"We're in a really thick part of the woods. It might be a national park or something, I can't really tell right now. We're in a shitty cabin that's falling apart and has overgrowth and ivy everywhere. It takes the guy hours to get to the nearest town and back. The trees are really thick in this area, there are pine trees on all sides. The terrain is mostly gravel and underbrush…"

August is writing down everything he can frantically while David calls over some more officers to help him. Everyone else listens with baited breath, waiting for the chance to talk to their missing loved one.

"Is that everything?" August asks.

"It's what I can see right now. Is Mary Margret there?"

"I am Emma," the teacher and best friend sobs. She's been in tears this entire time. "I'm here and I'm so happy to know you're okay."

"How's the baby?"

"He's beautiful, his name is Jacob."

Emma cries quietly, smiling with great pleasure and joy. They had a boy, a beautiful baby boy, his name was Jacob. She wished beyond all measure that she could see his beautiful face and watch her best friends adjust to becoming new parents.

"He's waiting for his godmother to come home and meet him," Mary sobs.

Emma cries a little harder. She squeezes the bloody rag she's been using as a bandage tightly, wanting to be free even more. Even though she was missing, she was still the little guy's godmother. It made her feel a little happy that everyone missed her and never assumed that she was dead.

"Is Henry okay?" the mother asks.

"I'm fine Mom," Henry says as convincingly as he can, even though he's crying. "Regina and Mary Margret have been taking care of me."

"I'm so glad, you're the only reason I keep hope alive, Bug."

Henry nearly collapses after his mother uses his old nickname. He seems to forget his teenage angst against the name and just wants to see his mother again.

"We've been looking everywhere for you Emma, we've done search parties and used cadaver dogs, anything to find you…" Ruby says.

Emma gives another weak smile. Unbeknownst to her, a figure is slowly climbing the stairs, making his way towards her room.

"Is… is Killian there?" Emma asks.

"Aye Swan I am," Killian says. He just wants to grab the phone as if it is Emma herself and hold onto every word she says.

"I miss you so much," Emma whispers.

"We won't be apart for much longer Love I promise," Killian says. "I will find you, I will always find you."

Emma is still slightly oblivious to the figure creeping up behind her, she's lost in her own emotions.

"Killian there's something you should know I'm..."

Suddenly the line goes dead.

 _Another great cliffhanger. I also changed Leo's name to Jacob because one of the reviewers thought I should be a bit more creative and use a name that hasn't been used before. Thank you for the reviews, they mean so much to me. I'm happy Once Upon a Time is back on TV again. I will hopefully update soon._


	52. Chapter 52

"Let's try not to have another disagreement like this, okay? I want this baby to alive and well for the next few months. Now I have to go into town and get a new pane of glass. I may as well go for dinner there too. A night away from each other might be just what I need."

Arthur then releases Emma and locks the door. Once he's out of earshot, he nearly collapses against the wall in agony. The stab wound Gwen gave him has not healed properly, probably because he had not taken the time to take care of it. The most he had done was clean it with water and clearly, that was not helping. The wound still radiated heat and burned every time he moved his shoulder.

"Blasted furnaces of hell!" he hisses through gritted teeth. His eyes squeeze out tears as he stumbles downstairs. He swears under his breath as he goes for his car keys.

He knew what he had to do next and he wasn't going to like it. He would head into town and go to the local hospital, then the hardware store to get a new pane of glass and then the bar to eat. He didn't want to deal with Emma, not right after the way she attacked him.

Arthur starts up the car, but hesitates, looking up at the window where Emma would be. The bars seemed to be holding, but he knew she wouldn't give up.

"I should've picked someone else," he mutters. But now that she's pregnant, he must keep her around. Arthur pulls away from the cabin, leaving a trail of gravel and dirt behind.

…

It's almost an hour and a half before Arthur pulls into the local town. He hadn't bothered learning the name of it, but it was tiny and dirty. The place was struggling to stay alive today. There were mostly hunting stores along the stretch of highway and souvenir shops for the visitors to the national park area. It was getting close to winter, the camping and hiker population would decrease, but there would be more hunters in the area, Arthur had to take note of this when it comes to his hiding place. He passes a few shops, one is the market where he had been buying food and then the hardware store where he bought his "equipment," a few clothing shops, a restaurant or two, a post office and a tiny sheriff's station. Arthur was especially wary when he went by it, but he continued until he came to the tiny building that could hardly pass for a hospital. It was about two stories high with a single ambulance parked in the front. He pulls up into the parking lot and then gets out with his sore shoulder.

He did not expect a big crowd when he checked in and for the most part, he was right. A lone receptionist sat behind a desk and few people were sitting in the waiting room. One's foot looked swollen beyond belief and a few others had some nasty infections, coughing or sneezing frequently.

"What is the nature of your injury?" the receptionist asks.

"Possibly infected wound," he answers.

"How did it happen?"

"B-bar fight," Arthur says quickly. "Bastard stabbed me."

"That's funny, I didn't hear about any bar fights recently."

 _Curse this small town!_ Arthur growls to himself. _Of course, they would keep tabs on any local happenings. Why can't they just mind their own businesses like normal people?_

"I just got into town," Arthur lies, thinking on his feet. "It happened a few weeks ago in another city. I came up here to do some hiking before the snow comes, but I can't do it with this shoulder."

"Very well," the receptionist says. "Have a seat and someone will come and get you soon."

"Thank you."

Arthur sits down away from the sick people and puts his head in his hands.

 _Why did you do this to yourself, Arthur?_ His conscience scolds him. _You could have just left the girl alone._

 _It's too late to have regrets_ , he murmurs, resting his eyes for a few moments, unaware of the old TV playing a news segment on Emma's disappearance. Fortunately for him, most of the people are in too much pain or are too sick to notice.

…

When he's called in, an elderly male nurse guides him to a room with an examination table. He tells him the doctor will be there shortly. Sure enough, an aged doctor with thick rimmed glasses and a white lab coat comes in and looks at his sheet.

"Mr… uh… Davidson?"

"Yes that's me," Arthur says.

"You say you have a possibly infected wound?"

"Yes on my shoulder."

"May I take a look at it?"

Arthur removes his coat and then his flannel shirt, revealing the wound.

The doctor makes an unusual noise as he puts on some gloves.

"This is going to hurt, but I need to get a full examination of the wound."

"Fine," Arthur says.

The doctor begins to poke and prod at the wound, causing his patient to grind his teeth in agony. Eventually, the healthcare professional uses a few sharp tools to take a skin sample.

"How did this happen?" the doctor asks.

"Bar fight," Arthur replies in a hiss. "In another town."

"What was the weapon?"

Arthur knew trying to lie would make him look suspicious so he is honest.

"Screwdriver I'm pretty sure. The closest thing he could find."

"Well it is infected; it's a good thing you came now before it got any worse. I'm going to have to have it cleaned and you'll have to take antibiotics. I also recommend you get a tetanus shot to lower the risk further."

"But I will recover?" Arthur asks.

"I'm confident you will, we just need to get you on the proper medication."

"Do what you have to Doc," his patient shrugs.

…

After a few hours of agony and a filled prescription, Arthur leaves the hospital feeling sore, but a little bit better. He gets into the car and then drives towards the hardware store. The man behind the counter greets him, remembering the face from a few weeks ago.

"What can I help you with sir?"

"Got a broken window… A branch crashed through when I was cutting off the dead wood."

"What size?"

"Standard, I'll also need some gloves to remove the shards."

"Absolutely," the man says. "Follow me."

As they weave through the aisles, the hardware store owner asks Arthur questions.

"Where are you from?"

"Here and there mostly, wife left me awhile back, took the kids. I haven't really been in a stable home for awhile, been seeing the country really."

"Must be fun," the man nods.

"Problem is I'm running out of cash," Arthur sighs.

The man reaches up and takes down a pane of glass. "Will this do?"

"I need half an inch more so I won't have to winterize as much," Arthur answers. "Speaking of which, do you have the tight seal solution, mother nature is a bitch in the winter."

"Uh sure…" the man says. "You know, if you need some extra cash, we can always use extra hands in the store room. A lot of our winter stuff comes around this time and it's hard to unload it all."

Arthur's eyes perk up to the suggestion. "Are you serious?"

"It won't be a lot but it's better than living in your car."

A grin forms on the man's face. "That would be great, when can I start?"

"Monday if that's possible,"

"I'll be there," Arthur says. He takes the window pane, seal, and gloves. "Thank you so much." He shakes the man's hand. In the background, the radio is blaring the news report and description of Emma Swan.

"I'm Andrew by the way."

"Mark Davidson," Arthur says. "I'll see you Monday."

Once outside Arthur feels some great relief knowing that he now had a source of income. He could now buy food and provide for this new baby… his new baby.

He reached into his pocket and pulls out Gwen's credit card. He tosses it into the nearby sewer. "The buck stops here."

…

"Another pint sir?" the bartender asks.

"Fill it up," Arthur says. He eats some baby back ribs at the bar of the local pub with onion rings and coleslaw.

The TV is showing the local news and a picture of Emma flashes on the screen.

"That's the fourth time they've shown this segment," the bartender comments, wiping a few extra glasses, trying to make small talk with Arthur. "I feel bad for the son."

"Been hearing it on the radio," Arthur says casually, swallowing hard and avoiding the bartender's eyes.

"What kind of sick son of a bitch would kidnap an innocent woman like that?" the man behind the bar asks.

The segment of Commissioner Gold is on the screen where he gives the description of the man, followed by an image of Arthur, but with a full head of hair. Arthur continues to keep his eyes down. Then the description of the car is flashed on the screen. The kidnapper grinds his teeth together.

"Heard he kidnapped his own kids too," he adds. "Then returned them."

Arthur just nods. Inside he's freaking out, he knows he must remain calm or someone will notice and call the cops.

 _Keep it together_ , he thinks to himself. _You could fool the wife for almost three weeks, you can fool a town of morons._

"It sure is sad," Arthur says casually. "Hope they find her soon…"

"Here's your pint," the bartender says, before going back to the kitchen.

Arthur finishes his food, wraps up any extras for Emma and pays the bill.

Once he's outside, he goes to the pharmacy and then the gas station.

…

"Can I get a gallon of regular please?" Arthur asks at the local gas station. He has a bag of hair dye, razors and other essentials for staying under the radar. He also has a pack of cigarettes, some vodka, and matches.

"How will that be paid?" the woman behind the counter asks.

"Cash," is the answer. _My last bit of cash_.

He takes the jug and heads to his car without a second glance at the woman.

…

Afterward, Arthur drives out just outside the national park area and stops. It's out in an open area, away from any trees because a forest fire is the last thing he needs. He removes everything from it… pausing once when he found one of Ben's toy cars. Pocketing it, he hikes a mile or two into the park, away from the car, tosses any of his children's luggage into a ravine and hiked back. He sighs heavily, leaving a few of his own belongings in the car. He dumps the jug of gasoline on the inside and out of the vehicle, especially on the license plates. Without batting another eye, he tosses lit matches at it until the entire thing a fireball. Taking his belongings, Arthur disappears into the park, knowing the hike was going to be long, but it was the only way back "home."

...

Sweating and exhausted, Arthur finally sees the cabin come into view. He feels so much relief from lugging the heavy load around. He unlocks the door, tosses his pharmacy products on the floor and takes the bag of leftovers up to Emma. He reaches for his keys when he hears Emma's voice. It sounds like she's talking to somebody.

Immediately Arthur drops the leftovers, picks up the pace and unlocks the door without trying to tip Emma off. He peers inside and sees Emma talking on the cell phone. He searches his pockets frantically and realizes that the phone was gone. It must've fallen out when he was dealing with Emma this morning. He charges over towards Emma.

"Killian there's something you should know, I'm..."

Arthur grabs the phone from Emma's hand, slaps her across the face and stomps on the phone, completely destroying it.

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to fight like this," he growls.


	53. Chapter 53

"EMMA!" Killian shouts tears in his eyes. He grabs Henry's phone and frantically pushes the buttons. He struggles to keep his balance on his crutches. "EMMA CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

He loses his footing and falls to the floor, Henry's phone skittering along the hardwood just out of reach. His side explodes in pain as his ribs were not entirely healed and his leg aches from the impact. David and August rush to help him up. Killian's hands clench into fists and he feels his blood boiling, adrenaline coursing through him and his throat closing. The pain of hearing from his beloved woman, only to have her snatched away again. Being so close and yet so far.

"GET OFF ME!" Killian hollers, fighting David and August's grip. "GET OFF OF ME!" His bright blue eyes welling with tears.

His screams woke up the baby in the room, Jacob starts screaming. Mary Margret who is also emotionally distraught overhearing Emma's voice goes to deal with her son. Henry stands staring straight ahead, shaken, not even caring about his phone anymore.

"Calm down Killian!" David barks. "You're going to hurt yourself again."

"SHE NEEDS US DAVID!" Killian yells. "AND YOU WANT TO DO NOTHING?! DAMN YOU ALL!"

"Screaming at a phone is not going to help anyone," Elsa says. She kneels down and lifts Killian's chin so they're face to face. David and August hold both of Killian's arms and his upper body dangles just above the floor.

Elsa holds his face until he calms down a little bit and they can see eye to eye.

"Killian…" she says softly. "It's going to be okay…"

"He's hurting her Elsa…" he sighs heavily, his eyes filling with tears.

"I know but she's strong Killian… you know that she's strong and she'll keep fighting. She told us she fought the man this morning. He won't get to her and she won't be gone forever…"

"How… how can you be so confident?" Killian whispers through his tears.

"Because I know Emma. She's been through so much in her life, but she always finds a way out of it and it always makes her stronger. And she's not alone, we're going to keep looking for her… and we're going to find her…"

Almost everyone in the room is in tears now, Elsa's optimistic statement gives them hope, even if it is very small. Finding Emma is like trying to find a needle in a haystack… a very big haystack. However, they had some new information, some that will be very useful to David and the police force and at least they know she's alive… she's likely very frightened, but she's still out there and they will find her.

Slowly, David and August help Killian to his feet. Regina picks up his crutches for him and hands them over.

"Thank you, Regina," the docks man says.

He turns to David and August. "My sincerest apologies for my behaviour."

"It's alright Killian," David says.

August nods in agreement.

Mary Margret brings over Jacob who has calmed down and now lays in his mother's arms. "My apologies Lad," Killian says, gently rubbing the infant's patch of hair. "And to you too Mary."

"It's alright Killian," she sighs. "We all feel the same way… it's just that you had the nerve to express it out loud."

David picks up Henry's phone from the floor.

"I want to get this down to the station for tracking," he turns to the teen. "Is that okay Henry?"

Henry nods, still in slight shock.

"We'd better get down there," August says. "Come on Leroy,"

The grumpy alcoholic nods and the PI grabs his notes and other pieces of evidence. David goes over to his wife.

"I'll be home when I can," he says softly before kissing her. "I love you."

"I love you too," the teacher says gently. David then leans down to kiss his son's head.

As the three men leave, the rest of the friends decide it's time to head home too. Elsa and Ann are giving Ruby a ride home, MeyLing will be going with Aurora and Zelena takes off the second she's given the chance.

All that is left are three adults, one teen, and one baby. Mary Margret puts her son back in his baby seat and then stands up. For some odd reason, she goes to the kitchen and begins to make hot chocolate for everyone. Henry sits down at the table and Killian sits next to him. What happens next shocks, Regina. The teen lays his head on Killian's shoulder as a sign for the need of comfort. The docks man is confused at first, but then slowly accepts it.

"It's alright Henry…" Killian whispers.

"I wish we could just find her," is the response.

"I know Lad, but like Elsa said, we have hope and that's what is important."

Henry doesn't say anything else. Regina sits down on the opposite end of the table and keeps an eye on the baby while his mother tinkers in the kitchen. She then looks down at her phone to find a new message from Robin. She tries to hide her smile as she opens it.

 _Would really like to see you soon. I don't visit Roland this weekend so I'm free._

 ** _Sounds nice,_** Regina texts back. **_Could really use the distraction. Emma somehow was able to contact us just now._**

 _Really?! Is she okay?_

 ** _She's scared and the man is beating her among... other things. She also was about to say something important but the connection was cut off…_**

 _Wonder what it could be?_

Regina swallows hard and looks over at Killian and Henry. She could take a guess at what Emma was trying to tell them. She could be pregnant with the bastard's baby. Just at the thought makes her stomach twist violently and she feels the urge to throw up. She can't imagine what Emma must be thinking, especially if she is pregnant. If this is true, it could crush Killian and also Henry. She knows she needs to keep it a secret because if her hypothesis is correct… she saw what happened the last time Killian heard about the man wanting to get her pregnant… the next time, the docks man might not come out alive.

 ** _Not sure… I'll tell you more tomorrow_**

 _Ok_

Regina puts her phone down as Mary Margret brings mugs of hot chocolate to the table. She hands one to everyone before adding cinnamon to Henry's and her cup. The four of them sit in silence for a long time, listening to the sounds of the traffic, as if waiting for the phone to ring again or for Emma to walk through the door, safe and happy. It was a silly fantasy, but at least she had called them and they knew she was alive, out there somewhere and had a roof over her head. She wasn't alone, despite her awful company and she was still fighting for her freedom. They all knew that Emma would never give up until the last breath left her body.

The only problem was, how much longer could she keep fighting?

 _Sorry if this chapter is shorter and there's no real cliffhanger here. Will update soon and thank you for the reviews and support._


	54. Chapter 54

_Just a warning to readers, this chapter is a bit intense and might even creep you out a little. You have been warned._

"Well, well, well," Arthur says, standing in front of the helpless figure of Emma. "You've been a very bad girl haven't you, Emma?" He talks to her as if she's a dog or a little child who's done something bad.

Emma's heart is in her throat. She's trying to be as brave as possible, but there is no way she can talk herself out of this one. She doesn't know how much Arthur saw, but surely it was enough. She couldn't explain it away or lie that she didn't say anything for her friends and family to save her. She fights back any tears she has. She presses against the broken window, the cold air causing her to shiver even more.

Arthur has removed the hunting knife from his belt and the blade is reflecting Emma's frightened green eyes. The end shines in the moonlight and it swings back and forth like a pendant.

"Very bad…" Arthur says. He takes another step closer, past the mess of the phone, inching closer to her.

Emma is trying to find words, but they're caught in her throat. Arthur kneels and forces Emma's shoulder against the wall. She can smell alcohol on his breath as he breathes heavily into her face. He brings the blade up to her neck and slowly puts the end at the base of her neck. Tears are now slowly falling down her face and she's shaking slightly.

With the blade in hand, Arthur lifts Emma's chin, forcing her entire neck to be exposed. He can vaguely see the bruises from their last encounter.

"Such a pretty little neck," he hisses. "It's been through a lot in the past little, while hasn't it?"

Emma says nothing. She's petrified, afraid that he's going to slit her throat. She's almost preparing herself for it. Her mind is racing, trying to find a way to fight him. This is not how she wants to die, she wants to go out fighting, but fear is stronger now and leaving her feeling helpless to do anything. Arthur brings the point of the blade to the center of her neck and pokes at it.

"I always thought the body was like art. It can be could a canvas for something new. Your neck is a work of art. It would look really pretty if I let red blood flow down right about here." He indicates with the knife. "It would provide some nice contrast next to the blue bruises and the pale skin."

Emma lets out a strangled gasp as the cold piece of metal dances at her throat.

"Of course there is the risk of puncturing the carotid arteries. That would just make everything messy and ruin the work of art. But… then again there is much to be said to when something bleeds. An open wound can flow almost like a waterfall, with grace and elegance, dripping down to the pool below. In this case, the waterfall would be very fast and would not last long, but it would be an amazing sight to see how ever so brief."

"Y-You wouldn't d-dare…" Emma finally manages to say.

Arthur grins, showing her his yellowing teeth. "Let's not discuss what I would or would not do. There are many things that I thought I would never do and yet… here we are."

"You s-said s-o yourself, I am pregnant and you can't hurt me…"

"That is partially true…" Arthur says. "I cannot hurt you the way I have been, but there is another way…"

He slowly reaches down and begins to unbutton Emma's shirt. She tries to squirm, but she can feel the knife being pressed against her neck and she cries out in distress.

"NO!" she yells, through tears. "I'm already giving you a baby, what more do you want?"

Arthur simply leans forward and kisses Emma's neck, next to where the tip of the blade is.

"Such a work of art," he mutters, pulling Emma towards him and kissing her neck more.

…

Again, she is helpless… so very helpless. Vulnerable and weak. Emma is handcuffed to the bed, naked and vulnerable. Arthur had his way with her once more and she shakes in fear and from the cold. For once, she actually wished that she had been drugged, that way she wouldn't be forced to be awake for it all. He had left handprints on her arms and legs and bruises on her neck. Her wrists were sore as she was forced to fight against the handcuffs, trying desperately to get away. Her body was weak and cold and ached in every way imaginable. She felt like an empty shell all over again. She was having flashbacks to being in the basement, but this felt so much worse.

Arthur sat up next to her and he stroked her blonde hair out of her face. She tried to move away, but there wasn't any place that she could go. All she could do was cry. She curled up into a ball and wished that she was dead or anywhere else. She would rather be on the streets again, ripping pages from an old book to keep her trash can fire going. Or in that group home where the kids pushed her around and often left her crying and feeling worse about herself. Or even sleeping in her car, in a back alley with no real future ahead of her. She'd much rather be in any of those situations but this one.

"Hush now Emma, there's no need to cry," Arthur whispers. "You should be happy; your punishment is over."

 _A punishment that doesn't fit the crime_. She snarls in her head before letting another round of tears stain her face.

Emma shuts her eyes tightly and ignores him. She tries to picture her son and her friends… at home somewhere. How worried they must be… if she ever gets out of this alive, they might not want her back. She was a damaged woman, far more than she ever anticipated. She was carrying her captor's baby, it made everything worse. It made her weaker now that she had to fight not just for her life, but another's as well. She couldn't imagine what this baby's life might be like. Would she be able to keep it? Or would she only be reminded of the horrors she's been enduring every time she looked at it?

It feels like hours before Arthur finally leaves Emma alone. He covers her shivering body with a blanket and locks the door behind him. Her tears have soaked her pillow almost completely and the cold autumn breeze coming in from the broken window. Her body is numb with the bitter cold. She tries to regret breaking it, but she fought him and… that was something. She could not just give up. She also managed to contact her family, hear her son's voice, hear Killian's. It was a sliver of happiness in such a dark place. Despite her so called "punishment" she gave David and August something to work with. They would not stop searching for her. She was so happy that her friends had not lost hope. They were looking for her and they had come together because they loved her. She loved them too and they were the reason she would keep fighting. Despite everything that she's been through, Emma knows she has to keep hope because, at the moment, it's all she had.

 _Here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy it. I love that there are now over 200 comments. It really makes my day. Thank you so much._


	55. Chapter 55

"So, she really called you?" Nova asks in shock. David, August, and Leroy had come back to the station with their new evidence.

"She did, she's locked up by this guy in some cabin in the woods. She thinks it might be a national park somewhere."

"Well that might make things a bit easier," Jack says, happy that they were having some progress.

"The problem is, she doesn't know if she's in Massachusetts or not…" August adds.

"Plus there are many national parks in this state alone," Leroy adds.

"Did you get a tracking signal?" Nova asks. "That might narrow the field a bit."

"I tried to, but I couldn't seem to get it. I hooked it up to the computer to strengthen the signal, but it's still hard to trace."

"Either she's really far in the woods or the guy was using a burner phone," August deduces.

"What's a burner phone?" Leroy asks.

"It's a cheap phone you can get at any drug store, the thing is that it makes our job a lot harder. It's not impossible to find them, but it's hard."

"I just hope Henry doesn't need his phone back right away," August mutters to himself.

"We'll send it to the phone company and they can help us out," Jack adds, taking the phone from David to hand it to another officer.

"In the meantime, we better get started on the searches…"

"That's great, we should just traipse around every forest and look into every cabin in the woods."

"We have to start somewhere Leroy," David says as he unrolls a map of the state. "Nova, can you google how many national parks there are?"

"I'm on it," Nova was at the computer googling national parks. "There almost 40 National Parks in Massachusetts alone."

"Great…" Leroy groans. "You know how much it'll cost to do search parties? Gold will never allow it."

August bites his lip, as he often does when he's thinking very hard. He stares at the map as David is marking all the national parks according to Nova's instructions.

"Maybe we can get the communities to help out?" August says thoughtfully.

"Right and how is that gonna work?" Leroy says.

"We could just talk to them," August says.

"And who's going to do that? David and the other guys have other stuff to deal with here."

"We could go," August says. "You and me, since you're unemployed and everything. That way we don't cost the station a lot of money and we're not under Commissioner Gold's influence."

"You really want Leroy there?" Nova smirks. "Everyone will shut their doors to you in an instant."

Leroy opens his mouth to protest but then shuts it. He knows that Nova is right.

"The chick has a point," the grumpy man says. "I'm not exactly Mr. Sunshine." He then takes out his flask to chug some whiskey.

"No, you are not," Nova giggles.

"Well, then Neal and I could go…" August ponders.

David swallows hard at the mention of his name.

"Are you sure he would do that?" David asks quietly.

August looks at David for a long moment.

"Look, I know what he did to Emma and Henry was very wrong, but it's been three years now and Emma needs us more than ever. Remember when the call was cut off? She was about to say something important I'm sure of it… she could be in more trouble than before. I know things are really hard for you guys because you love her so much, but Neal is here to help no matter what. Now is the time to act. Neal isn't doing anything right now, so it will work out…"

David clenches his jaw, looking into the blue eyes of August, full of determination. He wanted to believe that Neal was trying to help, but her was still hesitant.

"Alright…" he says.

…

"Good morning Mark," Andrew, the hardware store manager says, as Arthur enters the store for his first day. "A bit late, aren't you?" Actually, he was over an hour late.

"I'm sorry," Arthur says, coming up to the counter. "First-day tardiness."

Arthur released Emma just the other night and made sure that she was well fed. She didn't talk to him at all and she pretty much avoided him altogether now. Arthur knew he had established domination over her and she wouldn't try any more funny business, especially if she wanted to keep what was left of her dignity. He made sure he locked the door before he left, leaving Emma alone in the house. He walked for almost a full two hours to get to the hardware store in town. He did regret torching the car, but if Emma had given away some secrets to her happy little friends, it was better to be safe.

"Didn't you say you had a car?" Andrew asks.

"The damn car has broken down and I don't think I can fix it," Arthur says through his teeth. "And being in the woods is not exactly easy."

"Well," Andrew says. "If you need a vehicle, my brother has an old pick up he's trying to get rid of."

Arthur's eyes lit up with hope and excitement. "Really?"

"Yeah, ever since he switched jobs, he's been trying to get rid of it. After work, I can take you to see it."

"That would be great, thank you," Arthur says happily.

"Alright, now welcome aboard, I'm just going to go over the usual safety stuff and set you up in the back."

Arthur nods and follows the manager to the back of the store.

…

The rest of the day goes by pretty quickly, Arthur was sorting shipments of metal piping all day and by the end, he was exhausted. He came around to the side and found Andrew and few other men sitting, smoking and drinking a few beers. One of the men offers him a beer.

"Thanks a lot," Arthur murmurs.

"After the shift Mark, I'll take you to see the truck," Andrew tells him.

Mr. King nods and sips a beer.

"Nothing like a cold one and a hot smoke after a hard day's work," one of the men in blue overalls says.

The men nod in agreement.

"Did you hear what the sheriff found last night," a tall man with dark tanned skin asks.

"No what?" Andrew asks.

"He found a car light up like a bonfire,"

Arthur swallows some of his beer and says nothing.

"Wow really?" another man says, puffing his cigarette.

"Yeah, Ruth and Michael were driving back from the adjacent county and found it burning by the side of the road."

"Do they know who's car it was?" another man asks.

"No, it was so badly done, he couldn't even lift prints off of it.

Internally, the owner of that car lets out a sigh of relief.

"Joe thinks it might be a drug-related thing or some teenagers who screwed around with matches. Nothing too serious."

"Well that's good to know," Andrew says.

"For sure…: Arthur says, trying to be as casual as possible.

"So Mark," the hardware manager says, extinguishing his cigarette on the ground. "Want to go look at that truck?"

"Sure."

…

"WHAT?!" her voice screeches over the phone. Neal has to pull his ear away to avoid going deaf.

He just broke the news to Tamara about August's plans. He knew he had to give his answer by tomorrow, time was wasting. And yet he thought it would be better to consult his fiancée before making the decision. Of course, he wanted to help August, but Tamara was becoming impatient and downright bitter about him being away for so long.

"Tammy please…"

"DON'T YOU TAMMY ME!" the woman shouts angrily into the phone. "Look I know that you have your history. You have a son and an ex-fiancée and you think by trying to find her you're redeeming yourself in some weird way but…"

"Baby please don't…"

"But you have me now. You chose to leave that life behind and propose to me. And now here I am, waiting for my fiancé to come home while he looks for his ex-girlfriend."

"Tammy please try to understand…"

"Understand what? How you're going across the state to every forest to look for her? How you won't know how long you'll be gone? How every day I miss you more and more to the point where I feel like I don't even have a man anymore…"

Neal sighs, wiping tears from his eyes.

"August needs my help," he says quietly.

"Don't bullshit me!" Tamara barks. Then the end of the phone goes very quiet. "What do you think will happen once you rescue her?"

Neal swallows, not liking where this is going. "Tammy don't…"

"What do you expect to happen? You expect that she'll fall back in love with you again is that it? Is that why you're spending so much time away from, trying to worm your way back into her good graces."

"It's not like that…"

"Just answer me one question," Tamara says, swallowing. "Do you still love her? Because if you do, that's the end of us."

"Tammy…"

"Do you STILL love her?" his fiancée insists.

Neal is quiet, very quiet as he contemplates his feelings overall. He still cared for Emma, that was for sure, she was the mother of his child, but she had a new man in her life and basically a new life altogether with new friends who were basically family. What did he hope to accomplish by traveling with August? A chance to see her again? A chance to apologize… to kiss her one last time.

The silence drags on… too long for an impatient woman.

"Goodbye Neal," she says before hanging up.

"Tammy wait…" Neal says, but all he hears is the dial tone. He lays back on his bed and lets the tears begin to fall. Now he had done it… screwed everything up once again. Maybe he really was like his father, after all, a man who ruined lives wherever he went, breaking hearts and running away when things got too scary for him to handle. He rolls over onto his side and stares at the digital clock in his room.

 _Maybe she wasn't the one…_ he thinks to himself. _Would a normal fiancée be supportive like that? Would she wait for as long as possible, wouldn't she be concerned about Emma's well-being despite the history?_

The longer he lays there, the more Neal realizes how selfish Tamara could be. It was always about her and her alone. She hardly ever took his feelings into consideration, in fact, when they got engaged, it was more like that she proposed to him. She was a domineering woman, controlling and very jealous.

 _Maybe I am better off alone…_

He didn't really know why he came back to Boston? Was it for Henry? Was it for Emma? Or was it for him? Did he have some hope that Emma would come back to him if he redeemed himself by finding her? His head is a tornado of emotions. Everything was so complicated and confusing, leaving Neal a shivering mess of a man.

Neal picks up his phone again and dials August.

"Hey Neal," the private investigator says.

"Hey August, I'm in."

 _Here's another chapter. For the readers who have asked, Emma is almost two months pregnant. I will be doing a time skip, hopefully in the next chapter. Thank you for the support, you guys are awesome._


	56. Chapter 56

"I'm sorry sir, the community just doesn't have the time or resources to organize a search."

"Please sir, this woman has been missing for almost three months. She has a son at home who is waiting for her!" August practically begs.

"She's in the hands of a maniac," Neal adds angrily.

"I am sympathetic towards you cause sir, but we just don't have the resources."

"Please…" Neal says, almost getting on his knees.

"I'm sorry, but my word is final. Now please show yourselves out."

August puts his hand on Neal's shoulder and slowly turns him away from the mayor. The two almost hang their heads as they go down the steps of another city hall. The cold, gray January sky greets them and begins sprinkling snowflakes onto the two men. Neal is especially upset. His hands are clenched into fists and he grinds his teeth together. Once they get back to his car, he slams his hand on the hood in frustration.

August sighs. "Guess it's another few days of hiking huh?"

Neal just lets out a frustrated sigh.

"I'll call Killian and the others," August says.

Neal slides into the car and puts his head against the wheel. It's been like this for the past three months, traipsing from town to town, park to park, looking for places that had cabins in the woods or forests in general. Very few towns or cities had been willing to help and when that happened, the group were forced to do hours of hiking, even days in search of Emma. It always seemed fruitless, especially since it was winter and the temperatures and weather conditions prevented them from searching properly or canceled their searches altogether. Killian and Anna were in the next town over trying to get some help and still nothing. It was becoming an endless circle of fruitless searches.

Neal feels tears threatening to fill his eyes. He thinks of Henry at home and every passing day that he's forced to live without his mother is a stab in both their hearts. Neal knows now that he should never have left, especially if something like this happened. He thinks about his son, his seemingly helpless son. This past Christmas had been especially hard. Everyone showed up and quietly exchanged gifts and ate a dinner that Mary Margret and Regina had prepared, but it was still empty without Emma. Despite the cute pictures of Jacob in a Christmas sweater and mini Santa hat, there was much gloom and desperation in the house. And when New Years rolled around, nobody had anything to be happy about and the celebration was minimal.

David was working day and night to keep this case alive, knocking on every door he could and following every lead, but the fear was that Gold was going to shelve the case in the new year. It was now the new year and the more the group was turned down by towns and cities for searches, the closer they got to this coming true. August had the unfortunate job of calling David every time this happened. The cell phone tracking hardly did anything to help, relying solely on the search group to find her. It was becoming unbearable for every person involved.

Neal starts up the car to get it warm as August climbs into the passenger seat.

"We'll have to go meet Killian and Anna at the edge of the park," August says. He tightens his worn hiking boots. "Then we'll get started."

Neal just nods and moves the car along the snowy streets.

…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tracks, Killian and Anna were also being shot down. Killian's heart broke a little bit more. He and Anna go back to his new car, seeing how his last one was totaled. He lets Anna drive them to the edge of the park. The docks man has the unfortunate task of calling Henry, Regina and the new mother, Mary Margret at home and tell them that this community wouldn't help either. Killian did his best not to cry as Anna turned the nearest corner, out of the town.

He had joined August and Neal on their quest the minute that Dr. Whale took his cast off. Killian worked his absolute hardest to help with the investigation, even willing to do research about the areas, to see if there were any clues that would lead to Emma's location. He spent many sleepless nights thinking about her. Was she safe?

His mind always goes back to the night that she called. Her voice was so scared and so helpless, he wanted nothing more but to take Emma into his arms and never let her go. He couldn't imagine what kind of torture she might be going through, living with such a monster. Had he succeeded in his mission for her? His head begins to swim when he thinks about it.

He tried not to think about the moment when the connection was cut off and his heart basically imploded. The click of the line going dead would echo in his ears forever. He did his best to forget it, trying not to imagine what happened, but it still came to the surface from time to time. What was she going to say that was so important? He continues to think hard until...

"Pull over Anna," Killian says.

"Why…?"

"Just…"

Anna does so and Killian gets out of the car, stumbles to a ditch and vomits into the snow.

She was pregnant with the monster's baby! There was no other explanation. She must've wanted to tell him about it…

He begins to cry, kneeling down in the snow. He can't imagine what she might be feeling. The fact that she was being forced to have this baby for a bastard of a man… No, he wasn't a man, he was the lowest form of life ever… not even. _What would he do to her once the baby was born? Dispose of her?_

 _If she was found, would she want the baby?_ Obviously, he would be there for her, but could he raise a baby that looked like her rapist and abductor. What about telling the child the truth when they were older? It made Killian even more dizzy and upset.

The thought makes him vomit a bit more. His entire body was burning with anger and desperation.

He continues to cry. He thinks back to his nights with Emma, the way he held her in his arms, her blonde hair against his chest, her beautiful green eyes, her soft lips against his skin. He wants to go back to that night and tell her that he loved her. Hold onto her and never let her go.

At one point, as the cold wind whips around him, Killian thinks about what he'd done that second night. He'd never told Emma or anyone else, but he had not used condoms that night. Both he and Emma had run out, but he didn't want to keep her waiting, so he just went with it. He doesn't know if Emma noticed since they were both caught up in the moment, maybe she did but didn't want to kill the mood. But now he starts thinking about it harder.

 _Could it be his…?_ If she is pregnant that is… It is a possibility, but a very slim one. He would love to have a family with Emma, someday, but not while she's being held against her will.

Anna comes to make sure that he's okay and helps him up out of the snow. She asks if he is okay and he doesn't respond, still lost, deep in thought. Anna drives for an hour until they meet August and Neal at the edge of another national park. They have another few hours to start searching before it gets dark. Killian had grown to respect Neal the past few weeks because of his determination to help. Not many people were willing to basically give up their whole lives and fiancée to help with finding his ex-girlfriend.

Killian's head is still swimming as the four of them spread out in search of Emma.

…

Hundreds of miles away, Emma sits on a ratted old couch in a rundown cabin, trying to read a really bad novel that Arthur had given her as a reward for being obedient. She sits under a blanket in the cold cabin, her mind always wandering. Every day she became more and more depressed. Her hope was dimming a little bit with each day passing by. She still cried every night, especially after Christmas and the New Year passed by.

She kept thinking about Henry, her son, what it must be like to spend Christmas without her. She had always tried to make that holiday special for him, especially after Neal left. They always had a tradition to make marshmallow and popcorn strings to put on the tree, something that felt old-fashioned, but very special. It's not like a lot went on the tree anyways, Henry and her ate most of them. The thought brought a smile to her face. She also thought of her friends… and Killian. She had hoped that the two of them could exchange gifts this year and ring in the New Year together, but fate was cruel that way. She wondered if Killian was even around anymore, but she shook the thought from her head, Killian wasn't that type of person and never would be. She tried to imagine spending the holidays with those she loved.

This year, she spent the holiday in her room, away from the man whom she hated. He did not get a tree or anything… or even let her go. That had been her Christmas wish, but of course, the good tidings of the holiday did not move the man. The only nice thing he did was get her a box of candy canes, but that was it.

She was alone a lot more since Arthur apparently took a job to pay for food and other things. He definitely had to keep the pantry stuffed as Emma needed to feed the life growing inside her. She did not complain that the horrible man was not around, but when he was gone, she was alone… well, not entirely alone.

She felt trapped, in an endless limbo. She spent the better part of a month after the phone call locked in the room, only being let out for meals and when Arthur was letting her out, the snow had come and there would be no way for her to escape and not freeze to death in the cold. At this point, she was willing to risk it if she could get out of this hellhole. Emma felt like this was some sort of terrible dream and that she would wake up one day at home, safe and sound. The one thing that told her otherwise was her baby.

Her stomach was slowly starting to show the signs of growth. Her stomach was beginning to look rounder and rounder with the passing days and she attempted to hide it as often from Arthur because he would often look at her like she was a piece of meat, meat with his offspring inside.

Emma puts her hand on her stomach, thinking back to when she was pregnant with Henry. How scared she had been then and how scared she was now. She wanted more than anything for her to miscarry or something to go wrong so this baby wouldn't have to come into this cruel world and into such a dire situation.

It is then that Emma feels a bump inside her. She stops reading and rubs the spot where it came from. She waits until there's another small bump. Her heart drops in sadness, but also excitement.

The baby was kicking, letting her know that it was here. She begins to tear up and she rubs the spot where the nudge came from. She was overwhelmed with joy… she just wishes the circumstances were different. This was the baby's way of greeting people.

"Hello little one…" she whispers. "It's nice to meet you too."

 _Here's the time skip and there might be a few more in the future. Thank you for the reviews, you guys are amazing!_


	57. Chapter 57

"You're sure that they won't help?" Regina asks, talking to Killian.

Regina sits at the table of Emma's apartment, doing some real-estate work while Mary Margret feeds Jacob and Henry is at school.

She sighs in frustration at Killian's answer. "Alright, well be safe for the next few days." She says before hanging up.

Mary Margret looks up at Regina with sad eyes.

"Another refusal," the real-estate agent sighs.

"Why can't people just open their hearts to help?" the teacher mutters.

"Not everyone is as kind hearted as you," Regina says. "If everyone was like you, it'd be a scene right from a Disney movie, with songbirds and cheesy songs."

"And with magical fairy godmothers and poison apples," Mary smiles, checking on her son at her chest.

Regina smiles once and then tries to go back to her work.

It had been a long few months. Once Killian could walk again, she immediately moved back into her apartment, happy to have sanctuary and a decent mattress again. She did feel bad leaving Henry, but for now, but everyone in their circle of friends were taking shifts staying with the teenager, those who were not out scouring every forest in Massachusetts looking for his mother. Tonight, it was Mary Margret's night and she had set up a bassinette for Jacob in Emma's room as well as a high chair. Everyone's life basically rotated around Emma's apartment. It was their "home base" so to speak where everyone was kept updated and informed about the investigation.

Regina runs a hand through her hair. She had been working so hard, she felt like she was a balloon that was deflating more and more each day. This was search was going nowhere… but everyone was holding out hope. Emma was alive… somewhere out there and could very well be… pregnant.

Regina stared down the hall into Emma's room where Jacob's bassinette was set up. It looked out of place at first but considering that if Emma is found… she might be needing it. All of it was a hunch of course, but if the kidnapper was insistent on forcing Emma to conceive a child, she must be by now. He wouldn't keep her if she wasn't… It must have been what she wanted to tell Killian and everyone. Regina kept this secret to herself, not breathing a word to anyone for fear it would ruin Henry's life and stress out everyone else. Especially Killian. If he could run off, get drunk and crash into a tree at the thought of her being raped; imagine what he might do if she is pregnant.

Her phone buzzes on the table. A familiar name pops up. She can't help but smile.

She and Robin had been growing closer and closer, becoming good friends despite about how Regina felt for him. After their kiss, he was forced away to deal with his ex-wife and son. They didn't really talk about it that much and seemed to just become friends all of a sudden. That still didn't stop her from thinking about the kiss and wanting to be with him more. Her heart would always race when he was in the room and she'd become lost in her blue eyes. She felt like she was walking in some sort of dream, she was the queen and he was her night in shining armor. She hadn't felt like this since Daniel, and even then, this was much deeper.

The two of them shared secrets with one another and talked about their days over coffee or on the couch of the apartment. She even bought Christmas presents for him and his son as a sign of their connection. She wished beyond all measure that she could ask him out on a date, but with the divorce and Zelena on the prowl all the time, she had shelved the idea awhile ago.

She texts a response to Robin, asking how Roland is and Regina then catches Mary Margret's eye.

"What?" Regina asks.

"Is it Robin again?" Mary Margret asks, raising her eyebrow and patting Jacob on the back to burp him.

Regina just has to smile to confirm it.

"What's going on between you two?" the teacher asks.

"Nothing is going on between us," Regina says firmly.

"Really?" Mary says in surprise.

"Yeah, we're just friends Mary, nothing else."

"Really?" she repeats. "Because it seems like more than that. I mean you bought him a Christmas gift."

"But so did you."

"It was a watch, a very expensive watch I might add. That's usually something a girlfriend might get for a boyfriend."

Regina rolls her eyes. "We're not dating, we can't. It's too complicated already."

"Just because he's getting divorced and has a child doesn't mean you two can't go out for dinner or something. Besides, didn't your relationship with Graham fall through?"

Regina swallows a lump her throat. After she started seeing Robin, she kind of neglected Graham and it didn't help that he was all over the city for his gigs. She wanted to talk to him about whether there was a future between them, which she didn't see going anywhere anyways. It was mostly just sex and an occasional drink, but both had been so busy that when they did meet up one last time, the break-up was mutual. Both apologized to the other and then went their separate ways. Regina knew that neither of them felt anything for one another, except mutual physical attraction. She was happy that for once, one of her break-ups wasn't completely devastating or ended in divorce.

"Yeah, but it was kind of mutual."

"I know, but don't you think you should at least consider going out with him?" Mary Margret asks, rocking her son in her arms.

The real-estate agent shrugs and stares at her phone. Her heart soars in excitement at the thought but then the picture of her sister and the shadow of Robin's elusive ex crosses her mind again. She wanted to date him, more than anything… it was just hard.

"And don't you deserve to go out and relax, I mean you've been working so hard and sacrificing so much for Henry."

Regina stares at her reflection in her phone. She was hardly the pretty, dark and confident woman she once was. Ever since her friend had disappeared, she was slowly unraveling at the seams. Her eyes had bags under them, her hair had lost its shine, her body ached all the time and she wasn't happy at all. She hadn't had a night of fun since New Years, and even then, it wasn't that fun. There was this gloom hanging over her, gloom and uncertainty.

"I guess…" Regina mumbles. "But what would we do?

"Just keep it simple, dinner and a movie, that's it. Just ask him."

"You don't think that will come off as desperate?"

Mary Margret shoots her a look before picking up Jacob to put him in the bassinette.

"Just ask him, the worst he can do is say no."

Regina bites her lip as she's left alone in the kitchen. She stares at her phone for a long time, running through every possible scenario in her head. She did want to ask him out, very badly, but she was afraid of the answer. Slowly, she picks up her phone and begins to type.

 ** _Know this is out of the blue, but would you like to have dinner sometime this week?_**

Her finger hesitates on the send button, but she forces herself to press down.

She waits and tries to go back to her work, except her mind is racing. Was he laughing at her text? Had he seen it yet? Would he just turn her down flat or beat around the bush? Her heart pounded against her in fear and anxiety.

Her phone vibrates and she nearly jumps out of her seat. She reaches over and opens the message.

 _Like a date?_ Is the question

Regina swallows and then responds.

 ** _Yes… if you're okay with that._**

 _I'd love to Regina. We should just keep it simple, though. Your sister is driving me crazy with the custody stuff and I need a night away._

 ** _No surprise there, she'll drive anyone over the edge_**. she texts back. **_Should we do it on Friday?_**

 _That should be fine, I know a nice little restaurant we can go to._

 ** _Sounds great, can't wait for it._**

She feels like a bit of a dork for adding the smiley face, but she is so happy she wants to burst. Her head began spinning and her heart is racing. She was actually going out with Robin! She wanted to get up and dance she was so excited. The date was only a week away, but she could hardly wait and there was a bunch of things she had to do. Find the right outfit, pick the perfect perfume, find good makeup and above all, find out what she's going to say.

Mary Margret comes back into the room to see Regina grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm guessing he said yes?" she asks with a knowing smile.

All Regina can do is nod.

…

Friday comes faster than she ever anticipated. She spent almost a week preparing for this date, which seemed silly since it was going to be simple and she had gone on many dates before. But still, as she waited for him to pick her up, she had butterflies in her stomach, making her weak in the knees.

She waits in a dark coat with her purse on her shoulder and two-inch heels at the front of her apartment building, shivering to stay warm in the cold winter winds. These winds represented how she felt inside, torn and confused by her emotions. It wasn't too late to cancel.

 _What if it doesn't work out? What if he kisses me? What if her…?_

She felt like a teenage girl all over again, going out on her first date. Her head was swimming slightly. It wasn't like she was just meeting him for the first time or they weren't already friends, but she still felt so anxious about this simple date.

Then his car pulls up and he honks. She waves to him and walks to the car, only to trip as she was getting in. The stupid heels! She climbs in just as it starts to snow.

"Are you okay?" he asks, reaching over to grab her hand as she slides into the front seat.

"I-I'm fine, just slipped," she says breathlessly.

"You look very beautiful tonight," he says.

Regina immediately blushes bright red. "Thank you."

She wore a purple blouse with a black jacket over top and a dark skirt with pantyhose and two-inch heels. She wore her favourite makeup and perfume, hoping that he would all find it very attractive.

Robin then pulls out of the apartment parking lot.

"We're going to Jade's for dinner if that's alright?"

"Sure," Regina smiles.

The two fall into awkward silence for a little while as Robin drives them through the streets of Boston. Regina becomes more and more nervous as this awkward silence lengthens. It was weird, they didn't seem to have that much trouble talking before, but now it was pure silence.

They pull up to the restaurant and Robin goes around to open the door for her. They walk into the restaurant and take a seat by the window. The waiter greets them and brings them water.

"Good evening Sir and Madame. Out for a date night, I see?"

Regina swallows hard and Robin turns a bit red. The waiter moves on to read them the specials and then hands them their menus.

The food looks quite appealing on the menu, but Regina decides on a Greek Feta dish while Robin goes for chicken. Once they are left alone, they stare out the window, lost in their own thoughts, both wondering why it was so hard to start a conversation.

"So… how's Roland?" Regina ventures.

"He… he's alright," is the answer. "He got a new bike for Christmas and he wants the snow to melt so he can start riding it. Or at least learn how to ride it."

"He's still on training wheels?"

"He hasn't really been on a bike at all yet," Robin says, adjusting his tie. "But he wants me to teach him."

"That's nice," Regina says smiling.

Another silence.

"How's… How's Henry doing?" Robin asks.

"He's okay, improving a little bit every day, but the stress is still getting to him."

"I can't imagine what he's going through…" Robin sighs. "Any luck with the search parties?"

"They were turned down again and so another few nights in the woods."

"Any more evidence surface?" Robin asks.

Regina shakes her head. They fall into another silence. They look away from one another, their hearts beating nervously, wondering what to say next.

"You know it's funny," Robin says. "I've known you for months now, but I don't even know your favourite colour or what kind of music you like."

"That is funny," Regina says, smiling and relaxing a little. "I find that purple is my favourite. Not lavender or Violet, but a royal purple. I also like jazz music."

"Really? That's an interesting choice."

"I find it relaxing and it's a change from the rock music I usually listen too. What about you?"

"Green is my favourite colour and I actually like rap music?"

"You? Really?" Regina's jaw is on the floor in shock.

"I blame Will for that. He's a big fan and he got me hooked on it."

The two begin laughing and talking. They eat and converse, feeling much more comfortable and happy than before. The awkwardness had faded and they were free to be themselves. They even ended up splitting the bill.

As they walk out of the restaurant, it's snowing lightly, creating the perfect romantic atmosphere. Robin drives Regina back to her apartment and her heart is beating in anticipation for what will come next.

As he pulls up to the building, he turns the car off and faces his date. Then two are silent, but this time it's a nice silence, lost in each other's eyes.

"U-usually this is the part where the man kisses the girl good night."

"Yes," Regina whispers with a smile.

"That kiss at the hospital never really left my mind," Robin admits.

Regina smiles. "Me neither."

The two lean forward, their lips meeting. There's a slight pause as both seem to experiment with the firmness and taste of their lips. Once they are comfortable, they begin to get closer and hungrier, pulling together in curiosity. Robin reaches over and runs his hand through Regina's jet black hair and she grips the edge of his shirt, squeezing tightly. The continue their flurried romance when Robin's elbow accidentally hits the horn and snaps them out of the trance.

The two of them break apart, upset, but also very happy. They smile at each other knowing that sleeping together right now would not be a good idea. They could wait, even if it was painful for both parties.

"I had a really great time, Thank you," Regina whispers.

"Me too, we need to do this again."

"Yes," she says, becoming lost in his blue eyes again. The two lean in once more to kiss.

Despite how complicated everything was around them, the two were in their own sanctuary where everything was simple. A simple kiss after a simple date.

 _Here's a nice long chapter for everyone. To answer one of the comments, Emma will be in her fifth month pretty soon. Don't worry things are going to get much more exciting and with the semester ending soon, I'll be able to update a lot more. Goodnight everyone._


	58. Chapter 58

"EMMA!" Killian calls into what seems like the abyss. The birds on a nearby branch take flight at the sound of his voice. He and Anna had been hiking through the miles and miles of woods, looking for any sign of a cabin. They had found an abandoned barn and a rusty car, but nothing else. Both shiver in the cold, kicking back brush and behind trees to look for any trace of Emma Swan.

"I don't know why you keep calling out, she probably can't call back," Anna grumbles.

"At least I'm bloody trying to find her!" Killian snaps back and he walks ahead of the redhead to get away from her.

Anna sighs. She's been dealing with crap like this for weeks now. Whenever Killian has a mood swing or a fit of anger, she was usually at the receiving end of it. She always tried to remind herself not to blame him, the guy was going through an impossibly rough time, but she was running out of patience. It felt like their searches were a shot in the dark, there was hardly a chance of finding Emma in this vast forests, even if she was in a cabin somewhere. They were only four people in a big state. The days in the cold were peeling her skin and making her feel exhausted and unhappy. The only time she got any form of cheer was when she talked to Kris, who was at home waiting for her. She loved hearing his voice, it made her feel warm all over and forget the awful mission she was on. Part of Anna wished that she had a full-time job in order to be at home with her boyfriend, her sister, and the animals. Instead, Elsa volunteered her for this and though Anna did miss Emma, she felt like there was nothing that she could do. She was only one person and they can hardly make a difference.

Just then snow begins to fall. It looks very pretty on the forest backdrop, their bare branches reaching up into the darkening, gray sky. The silence made it feel like they were in a painting or even a cemetery, not another soul for a few hundred miles, just them, nature and the elements. Ever so slowly, the snow begins to come down harder and harder and the wind picks up speed, sending chills down her spine.

"Killian!" Anna calls out, squinting in the blowing snow. "We have to turn back."

She gets no response from the docks man, his dark figure continues going forward into the trees.

"KILLIAN!" Anna shouts louder. She races as fast as she can towards him. She reaches out and grabs his shoulder. "Killian we need to turn back, the weather is getting worse.

Killian doesn't respond, he just keeps staring into the distance as the snowflakes collect on his jacket and in his hair.

Anna grabs the walkie-talkie from his coat and calls for August and Neal.

"Hey guys, the weather is getting bad, we need to head back to the cars."

There is a lot of static on the other end until Neal responds. "We agree, we'll meet you back on the road."

"Okay," Anna says. She looks up at Killian who continues to stare like a zombie into the woods.

"Killian let's go," she says, trying to grab his hand.

Suddenly, Killian begins running at full speed into a thicket of trees.

"KILLIAN!" Anna yells as she begins running after him.

She runs as fast as her boots can carry her, but she keeps slipping in the snow and her vision is obscured by the wind and ice.

"KILLIAN!" she screams.

The docks man only stops when he comes to the edge of a clearing. Through the blowing snow, he can see the shape of a house. It's a two-storey building and made of wood. Killian hopes that this might be it, that this is where he is reunited with Emma. He pushes forward through the cold and goes up to the door, his heart pounding. As he gets closer, the shape becomes clearer and clearer, but unfortunately, his hope gets smaller and smaller. As he reaches the front porch, he realizes that the place is abandoned. There is no front door and all the windows are shattered. The place is desolated and empty, not a place where a kidnapper would hide his prisoner, especially if she was pregnant. Nobody in their right mind would be living here; then again whoever had Emma was not in his right mind.

Killian's heart sinks and he feels tears forming in his eyes. He just wants her back, is that so much to ask.

Anna fumbles to the clearing, trying to get to Killian. She tries to get in touch with Neal, but there's nothing but static. They are out of range and the weather is interfering with the connection.

"KILLIAN!" Anna's horse voice calls out. Her red hair can barely be seen through the blowing snow. "COME ON WE HAVE TO GO!"

With a heavy heart, Killian turns back and goes towards where Anna is waiting for him. He takes one last glance at the place before following Anna back the way they came.

"We have to hurry before our footsteps are covered completely!" Anna mutters as a gust of wind lashes against her face.

Killian grabs Anna's hand so they won't be separated and stare at the ground. The problem was the wind and the snow had already done their job, making them lose their trail. The two press on, trying to retrace their steps. They can barely see anymore and both are almost frozen to the bone.

Anna just wants to go home, back where it was warm and she had someone waiting for her with a warm smile and some cocoa. Instead, she was stuck in the god-forsaken forest, trying to stay alive. She was becoming more and more tired, becoming dazed and confused until she trips on a log or something and falls to the ground, landing at a weird angle. Her ankle explodes in pain.

"Are you okay?" Killian asks.

"My…my ankle," she whimpers. "I tripped on something."

"Can you walk?"

Anna tries to stand up but her ankle won't let her. "I don't think I can…"

Killian sighs, trying to keep a level head. They had to get out of this storm before someone had to come looking for them.

"Lean on me," he says. He helps the redhead to her feet and she puts one arm around his shoulders so he could be her crutch. Anna winces in pain and gasps as the wind just get stronger and stronger, trying to blow them over.

They begin to walk again, but Anna keeps slipping being on one foot. Killian is doing his best to help her, but the cold is slowly making him weaker and weaker. His body is protesting, wanting him to sit and rest.

Still, they push on, trying to see through the storm for any sign of the road. It was almost dark now and they were basically limping blind. There might be wolves in these woods, and if that happened…

Killian begins praying to Liam, hoping that his brother will help him out again. It was because of his stupidity and impulsiveness that they were out in the forest in the middle of a blizzard.

 _Please, Liam, help us!_ He begs in his mind.

Nothing responds but the wind until both hear a loud blasting of a horn and bright white lights. It wasn't death calling them, but August and Neal on the side of the highway, beeping the horn to ensure that Killian and Anna found their way back in the snow and darkness. The two lost wanderers start moving faster towards the lights.

August and Neal come out and help get Anna into the car.

Once inside with the heat blasting, Neal drives towards the nearest local hospital to get Anna's ankle looked at, August following behind them in Killian's car.

Nobody says anything until they pull into the parking lot. Killian and Neal help Anna into the building, with August not far behind.

The nurse takes one look at the group and rushes to get help.

Anna's ankle is examined, not broken but sprained and both she and Killian are given warm soup and hot coffee to bring their body temperatures back to normal. As the doctor wraps Anna's ankle up, she asks what on earth were they doing in this weather.

"We were trying to find a friend," Anna explains. "She's was kidnapped a couple months ago and we do know she's being held in the woods somewhere. We tried to organize a search party, but no one would help us"

The doctor gives them a strange look but then nods her head. "You shouldn't talk to the mayor about things like this, it's much better to appeal to the community, like a church or the local museum. They can organize a search party easily. We have park rangers who would be willing to help in your search."

"Really?" Killian asks, his eyes lighting up slightly. "Because we were told that the city didn't have the time or the resources."

"Don't ever go to the mayor about that, just ask the locals, they are always willing to help. There are a lot of hunters in this area who know the woods quite well, they'll be willing to help. But you, young lady, cannot walk on that leg for at least two weeks."

"Okay," Anna says, slightly relieved that she could take a break from the hiking.

"I'll be back to check on you later," the doctor says before she leaves.

Once the two are alone, Killian turns to Anna.

"Anna?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm so sorry about what I said out in the woods. And running off like that."

"It's okay,"

"No, it's not," he insists. "I almost got us killed tonight. You guys are my friends and I should be treating you with respect and working with you, not alone. Sometimes I forget that you are suffering too"

Anna reaches out and grabs Killian's hand. "I understand what you're going through, it's so hard."

"It is bloody hard," he growls. "I just want her back."

"I know, and we will find her," Anna says optimistically.

"How can you be so sure?"

"She has so many people looking for her, she won't stay hidden for much longer. Plus she has you looking out for her."

Killian gives Anna a small smile and she returns it. Both sit back in comfortable silence as watch the T.V. calling for 15 cm of snow and lasting all night. This would put their search on hold for a little while.

 _Snow is going to slow things down a bit, but not a lot. Stay tuned for more and thanks for the comments._


	59. Chapter 59

A few hundred miles away, the same snow storm was striking a similar forest, with another cabin in the woods, only this time it was not abandoned. Emma sits huddled under a few thick blankets, trying to keep herself and the baby warm. She listens to the wind rattle against the cabin walls. She sits by the fire that she's trying to keep going and drinking hot water, as cocoa was not available. She tries to keep her mind off the cold and her current predicament in general.

The thought of burning the entire cabin down and making a run for it crosses her mind. Arthur is outside chopping some more wood; she could try and grab his car keys and drive away. Even if she didn't make it very far in the storm, anywhere would be better than here. Trapped like a bug in a glass jar. She could see the world around her, but she couldn't touch it. In fact, she can't remember the last time she even touched the ground outside. The problems with this plan are that Arthur locked the door and if she was to set the place on fire, she'd be trapped inside. If she couldn't steal his truck, there was no way she would survive the elements. Emma stands up and begins walking around the living room, trying to get some exercise. She also tries to do some push-ups but becomes tired after awhile. She wanted to keep herself in fighting shape, but the baby was making that more difficult.

She stares down at her stomach, which wasn't very big, but there was a slight bulge to it. She had been feeling the slight movement of the child, indicating that the baby was kicking.

"I wish I could just take you away from here," she whispered.

She sits at the window and looks out into the darkening night.

She wonders what the baby will look like.

If it was hers and Killian's, she wanted it to have his blue eyes. Those were the eyes that drew her to him, like a beacon of hope. If it was a boy, she might like it to have dark hair like his, but a blonde boy wouldn't be too bad either. Her heart flutters at the thought of a mini Killian. If it was a girl, she still wanted the blue eyes, she would be okay with the girl having her green eyes or maybe a mix of both colours. She thought about what she would name it. A boy, it would likely be Liam to honour her boyfriend's brother, but she also always likes the Aiden or Noah. For a girl… Julia was nice, or maybe Amelia.

She swallows at her next thought and her stomach turns violently. If it was hers and Arthur's, she wants it to only look like her. If the baby looked like him… she may not be able to care for the baby. She didn't want to be reminded of her rapist every time she looked at what was supposed to be a product of innocence and love. She wipes away a small tear when the back door slams shut.

"Planning another escape again eh?" Arthur calls from across the room.

Emma turns away, refusing to answer him.

"Wouldn't do you much good in this weather. Says it's going to keep up all night. You'd be frozen before you went ten steps."

Again, Emma doesn't answer.

Arthur stomps over to the stove where Emma had the kettle on.

"You making something?"

Emma just shakes her head and moves upstairs, away from her captor.

Arthur just shrugs. He didn't care if Emma even spoke to him anymore. As long as she kept the baby safe, it wasn't his problem. He brings over the pile of logs and builds up the fire again. He sits back with a beer and watches the flames flicker.

He wonders what Gwen must be up to with the kids. He wondered how their Christmas went. He doubted Gwen missed him, but the kids surely did. They always loved Christmas with their father because he would always hide the ornaments around the house and have the kids find them to hang on the tree. He could not lie to himself, he knew he felt very sad when the holiday came and went, but he had made his choice… and that was it.

…

Upstairs, Emma lays on the ratty bed, letting a few tears flow down her face. She wanted so badly to get out of here, but so far all her chances to escape had caused her physical pain and now with the baby, she had another life to protect besides her own.

The man didn't care if Emma lived or died, as long as the baby was safe. She grabs a rock and pitches it across the room in pure anger. All it does is hit the wall with a thud and fall to the floor.

 _I can't believe that this happened to me. Why **me**?! Of all people? Why couldn't that bastard just leave me alone and try to live a normal life? He had kids, he had a wife, why did he throw it all away?!_

She knew David would never give up looking for her, neither would anyone else, but her hope has faded, especially after several months now. If she wanted to be rescued, she would have to do it herself, but what could she do without getting herself or the baby killed?

Suddenly, a thought enters her mind. A thought about how this baby might just be able to save her. It would be extremely risky, but it might be her only shot. She knew that all Arthur cared for was the baby and maybe… just maybe this could work to her advantage.

Maybe…

 _What do you think? What could her new plan be? Stay tuned for more. Sorry if this chapter is short._


	60. Chapter 60

"Another 3 inches of snow expected through the next few days, meteorologists are saying it's a cold front coming in from Canada…" the radio in the kitchen blares out.

"Looks like school is going to be closed," Henry says, sighing in relief. This gave him a day to kick back before having to study for his upcoming exams. Even though his mother isn't around to nag him about studying, Regina and Mary Margret are filling that void too.

Henry sits at the table the morning after the first snow storm. Mary Margret had cooked blueberry pancakes for just the two of them since David was stuck at the station dealing with car crashes and downed hydro wires. The teacher carries her son in a sort of sling which allows her to have her hands-free to do other things. Jacob is cooing contently, grabbing at the lace of his mother's nightgown while she flips a few pancakes.

"That's good, it gives you and an extra day to study," she says.

Henry groans and looks down into his plate of food. His heart had never been into the school that much in the first place, even less so with his mom missing and everything. His grades had slipped a little, but nothing to be too concerned about. Violet had been his support system, especially in Spanish, she helped him when she could and they even did a project together. Violet would simply listen to him whenever he felt down and she'd put her arm around him for comfort.

"Henry, you know you should do well on your exams."

"I do know that," he groans before finishing the pancakes and going to his room, leaving mother and child alone.

He flops down on his bed and checks his phone. What he wouldn't give to hear his mom again. Once his phone was released from evidence, he had tried calling the number back so many time, but getting nothing. He once asked David what this could mean and he suggested that maybe the line had been disconnected, the phone ran out of battery, the phone was out of range or it had been destroyed. The last one sent chills up his spine and he shifts on his bed.

He stares at Violet's number for a few moments before calling.

"Hello?"

"Hey Violet, it's me."

"Hi, Henry."

"How are you spending your snow day?"

"Dad's making me study,"

"Same… well, my stand-in Mom is."

"Regina or Mary?"

"Mary, she and the baby were watching over me last night."

Violet giggles. "You think it would be the other way around. How are the search parties going?"

Henry swallows. "Not great, another town refused to help out and then they all got caught in last night's storm. Killian called us last night and said that Anna sprained her ankle in the snow."

"That's awful, I hope she's okay."

"She is, it's just that she's going to be out of searching for awhile."

"Yes…" Violet says trailing off. "Has… Has there been any other leads since the phone call?"

"Nothing substantial," Henry sighs.

"I'm sorry Henry."

"What do you have to be sorry for, it's not your mom who is being held against her will…" Henry stops, immediately regretting his words. "I'm sorry Violet."

"It's okay Henry, it will always be okay to tell me your frustrations. It's what friends are for."

"So we're friends huh?" Henry swallows. _Why did I ask such a stupid question?_ he groans internally.

He and Violet had not been on an official date yet since the party didn't really count. He had yet to gather the courage to ask her out properly and with the turbulent road that was his life, he never seemed to find the time to do so.

"Of course we're friends," Violet says. _Is he ever going to ask me?_ She was thinking.

Henry's heart is pounding. He wants to say the words but they're stuck in his throat.

"Have-Have you ever thought of…" he begins. He's sweating and turning very red.

"Thought of what?" she asks.

"O-Of being more than that?"

"Like boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Y-Yeah,"

"Well, we haven't exactly been on a date yet."

Henry's hand is shaking and he takes a deep breath before forcing the words out.

"Well, after the blizzard is over, would… would you like to g-go out with me?"

Violet blushes, happy that they are calling and not face to face. She'd been waiting for him to say those words for a long time.

"Sure," she says.

All the tension that had built up inside both of them suddenly released and they both smiled.

"We'll do it soon then," Violet says, suddenly her dad's voice can be heard in the background. "My dad's calling me, I have to go. Text me the details about the date."

"I-I will," Henry says before his crush hangs up on him.

He stares at his ceiling for a long time, smiling in relief and happiness. A large knot had just been released from his stomach and his entire body was filled with new emotions. Joy, attraction, excitement, still nervous and maybe even love. He shuts his eyes and begins to plan their first date in his head.

…

"NO Zelena!" Robin shouts into the phone. He tries to remain calm as Will might be listening in.

"Robin, I will do it pro-bono I promise."

"I don't need your help with my divorce case thank you."

"Stop being so stubborn Robby," she says in an almost seductive voice.

Robin swallows an angry lump in his throat.

"You're both at a stand still and if you don't do something soon, your ex-wife will end up with full custody."

 _Maybe that's for the best,_ Robin thinks to himself. _After all, I don't want to drag Roland into my new relationship with Regina_. _I've heard her talk about how Henry took it when Emma started seeing Killian._ The two had had only been on one date, but Robin felt like they could become something serious with a little luck and some effort.

"Just let me look at your case," Zelena says. She's never encountered this stubborn a client before, usually, her baby doll eyes and slick black heels had all clients melting in their seats. Robin was different, a hard nut to crack, but she had not used every trick in her book yet. "I know you love your son and seeing him is important. But if you give up now, you'll never see your son on his birthday or get to celebrate Christmas with him." Hit him with the important dates, those always hit home for parents.

Just then Ana comes out of Will's room in one of his collared shirts that reaches down past her knees. She grabs a carton of juice from the fridge as well as some vodka and glasses before disappearing again. Robin sighs in frustration.

"All I ask is you consider and I can get the best deal possible for you and your son." Slick bribe for the ideal combination.

Robin still hesitates, thinking of his five-year-old son, how much he misses not seeing his son every day. The thought broke his heart. He did want to be on good terms with Marian, after all, she had been his first love and that still meant something. He'd always have a special place in his heart for her, but times change and people change. The two drifted further apart until it was like two strangers sharing a child. Marian sent the forms to him and he moved in with Will and Killian.

"A-Alright, but I want only good, clean arguments."

"Absolutely," Zelena says, smiling at the prospect of a new case. She taps her painted green fingernails on her desk, the first two crossed over in much dishonesty.

 _There might be fewer updates in the next few weeks, depending on exams. Fortunately, I only have one and then I can focus on the story a lot more. Thank you for the continued support._


	61. Chapter 61

"When is this bloody storm going to let up?" Killian groans, staring out the window of the motel that the four of them are staying in.

Anna sits on the bed, her ankle wrapped up and on top of some pillows. She's channel surfing while Neal and August pour over a map of the national park.

"The weather person said it's going to snow a lot for the next few days," Anna answers.

Killian sits at the edge of the bed. He leans down and stares at the floor in frustration.

"Which is going to put a damper on our search efforts," August says, still staring at the map. "Killian, where did you say you saw that abandoned cabin?"

"I don't bloody know, it was dark and it was snowing. Why are you bothering, it's empty anyway?"

"Because there are two areas of cabins in the park," August explains. "The old and the new."

"Didn't Emma say that she was living in a crappy cabin?" Anna asks, remembering the phone call.

"She did," Killian says. He practically remembered the entire conversation as it was the first exchange any of them had had with Emma in months.

"Well, I asked a park ranger and he said the new cabins are furnished and well kept, while the others are falling apart and completely abandoned…"

"So, if Emma is in one of them, it's likely one of the older ones," Neal finishes.

"Exactly," August says as he traces the map with a pencil. Killian goes over and looks at the marks that the PI has made over the two men's shoulders.

"If I was on the run, I'd pick an abandoned cabin too," Anna says, taking a sip of her water.

"We found you guys here," August mutters, pointing to the line that represents the road. "And if you walked in a straight line," he traces the page. "You likely ended up here…" He circles a small square.

"How many old cabins are there?" Anna asks.

"The ranger couldn't say but he estimates that there might be four or five that could be considered "livable." The rest are hollowed shells, much like the one you found Kil."

Killian took a step back at the weird nickname, only Liam had ever called him that, had they been spending so much time together that August felt that it was okay to use nicknames?

Suddenly, Neal stands up.

"I need to go smoke," he says, before going toward the tiny balcony that the motel had. He puts his coat on and grabs a pack from his pocket. He steps out into the cold and snowy air, not noticing that Killian had followed him. Neal lights up and exhales smoke, the wind catching and blowing the white cloud into the night air. He leans over the rail, letting the bitter cold nip at his face and the snow practically blind him. Killian is watching before stepping out into the cold as well.

"Jesus! You scared me," Emma's ex-boyfriend says, noticing the figure who followed him.

"I didn't mean to Mate," the docks man answers. He comes and joins Neal at the rail. The two stand, not saying a word, the howling wind filling the silence.

"Want one?" Neal asks, offering one.

Killian feels the need for one but holds his hand up to pass. "I don't want to open that complex issue again."

"Yeah, I've tried to quit before too, but it's my inner demon so to speak. Tamara tried to force me to quit, but I smoked at work and in the alleyway behind our apartment."

Killian just nods and shivers in the cold.

"So, what happened the other day?" Neal asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Anna told me that she had to pull over and she watched you become violently ill in a ditch."

Of course, Anna would have said something to the others. The woman can never keep her mouth shut. Killian bites his lip, worried about how Neal might react.

"I…I realized something…"

"What was it?"

Killian swallows. "Well, during the phone call, Emma wanted to talk to me specifically and she was going to say something very important before the line went dead…"

"What was it do you think?"

Killian is fighting back tears now. "That she's carrying the bastard's baby!" he grips the cold metal rail so hard, he might even rip it out of the balcony.

Neal swallows a lump in his throat and flicks his cigarette into the wind.

"A..And the thought j-just made me so sick that I…"

"Couldn't take it anymore…?" Neal prompts.

"Exactly…"

The two men think about the beautiful blonde, the woman who changed their lives in so many ways. Both still loved her in their own way and neither wanted to imagine what Emma must be going through, especially if she was pregnant with the monster's baby.

"Y-You can't be certain about that…" Neal says quietly.

"What else would she try to tell me?"

"Maybe she wanted to tell you she loved you."

Killian's eyes water up, his hands are going numb from the cold and from how hard he's gripping the metal. There's another long silence.

"Do you love her?" Neal asks.

Killian looks at him like he's just said something incredibly stupid. He never thought that an ex-fiancé would ask the current boyfriend if he loved the woman.

"I…I do," he admits. "I really do, every day that I can't see her is pure agony. I feel like I'm walking through hell and being tortured. Every minute I'm not with her is another lashing on my back and my heart feels as if it's being ripped from my chest and being squeezed to the point where I can't breathe."

Neal just smiles and nods. He had once felt the same way about Emma too and in fact the first few months after he left, he felt very similar pain. He had sort of become numb to the agony of losing her and his son by now and he felt like he had moved on for the most part… and here was this man, professing his love for her in an almost poetic fashion. At this moment, Neal knew that he had not been the right person for Emma and that Killian was. It hurt a little and he felt some jealousy, but he had made his decision long ago and now Emma had found someone who would definitely treat her right, give her things that he couldn't and never leave her like he did. Emma certainly was not an easy person to get to know, she was complicated and had her own fair share of pain, but from the way Killian was speaking about her, he could tell that the two of them had touched each other in ways no one could even hope to describe.

Once they've gone back into silence, Neal reaches over and puts his hand on Killian's shoulder, as a sign of comfort and of friendship.

"We'll find her," he says. "And once we do, don't ever let her go again."

Killian nods and both men shudder in the cold. They both go inside to warm up. Killian goes to the kitchenette and begins boiling water for making hot chocolate. He searches everywhere for some cinnamon but can't find any. Neal sits at the tiny table, watching, deep in thought.

"Neal?" the docks man asks.

"Yes?"

"I-If she is pregnant… do you think she'll keep it?"

"I'm not sure. She was only seventeen when she had Henry and we both considered adoption, but in the end, we couldn't do it. We learned to care for him and we never regretted it, despite how hard things were at the time. She might keep this one too… but considering the circumstances…"

Killian just nods as the kettle begins to whistle. He pours two cups of hot chocolate in their travel mugs.

"What's bothering you, Killian?"

"I-It's just t-that when she has the c-child-d, how can she stand to look at the tiny face, knowing where it came from?"

The two both sit in silence as their hot chocolate cools. Neither wants to picture Emma raising a child who looked like her captor, but Killian was also thinking about what would happen with them. Of course, he would stand by Emma, only if she wanted him there and he did want to be a father someday but… to hold the baby created under such horrific circumstances… how could anyone ever do it…?

Killian blinks back his tears and looks at Neal, who looks equally tired and distressed.

"I really don't know…" the ex-fiancé answers. "I guess it will be up to her in the end…"

The two go into uncomfortable silence again, their minds stuck on the beautiful blonde with lovely green eyes and addictive smile.

"Neal?" Killian says again.

"Yeah?"

"What's it like being a father?"

…

"I can't believe that Henry is going on a date," Robin says. Both he and Regina sit in a café drinking coffee as a sort of "date" and a way to get out of the apartment. The snow had basically kept them cooped up for the past few days, not allowing them to see one another. They craved each other's company and finally managed to get away and meet up.

"He's really excited and nervous about it," Regina says.

"As any young man would be. I can remember my first date…"

"With Marian?" she asks, shifting a bit in her seat.

"No, surprisingly, this was a young lady in my neighbourhood, Jenny I think it was. My friends dared me to ask her out and they were planning to have me bring her to the backyard swamp area and attack her with mud…"

"How old were you?"

"I was just thirteen and too wise for my own good."

"So, did you, do it?" she asks, leaning forwards, smiling at the thought of young Robin running around with a bunch of boys, riding their bikes along the street, causing trouble wherever they went, like the kids in _Stand By Me_ or _Stranger Things_.

Robin shakes his head. "I couldn't. When I saw that she put on her church dress, I knew she would be traumatized and hate me for the rest of my life, so I took her down to the candy store instead, we both got popsicles and then we went to the park and watched the ducks."

Regina smiles from ear to ear. She loved the way that Robin was a gentleman, even at that young immature age and that he was a humble soul.

"Then I told her the entire plan at the park and she suggested something…"

"What?" Regina says with a smirk.

"We went down to the swamp and attacked my friends who were still waiting for us, with mud."

Regina laughs and Robin joins her. Their laughter carries through the café and people look at them for a moment in confusion before going back to whatever they were doing.

"Serves them right," she nods

"Her dress did get muddy and her mother never wanted her near me again, but that didn't stop us from meeting at school and teasing my friends that they got attacked by a "girl." So that was my first date and it certainly was memorable."

"Did you ever take her out for a second date?"

"No, eventually she went after the school quarterback once we hit high school."

Regina laughs a bit more before sipping her coffee.

"Well, if that had been me, I would never have let you go and let you take me on a proper second date," she says, gazing into his blue eyes.

He gives her an odd half smile and the two lean in for a kiss.

Suddenly, Robin's phone begins to ring. Regina does her best to hide her disappointment.

"I'm sorry," Robin says. He sees that it is an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Robin Locksley?" a male voice asks.

"Yes."

"C.T. Martin of Child Protective Services, we've taken your son Roland into custody due to the reported allegations of alcoholism and neglect of the primary caregiver…"

 _Hey, everyone, I'm back!. My exam is over and I'm free for the summer! I will definitely be updating a lot more and thank you for everyone's continuous support._


	62. Chapter 62

"W-What are you talking about?" Robin asks.

"What I mean is, there were calls from the courts that your wife has been abusing alcohol and neglecting your son."

"WHAT?!" Robin says. He's so exasperated that he can barely speak. Marian was not an alcoholic and she would never neglect Roland under any circumstances.

"We're talking with the courts about finding evidence to solidify this claim and your house is being searched and until then we need you to come and pick up your son."

Robin's eyes are so wide in confusion that he didn't hear the last part where the caller gives him the address. Regina is watching Robin this entire time, watching the colour drain from his face and his eyes glaze over. She wants to ask what's wrong, but she also doesn't want to interfere with the conversation. Once the phone slides from his hand, she feels it's safe to talk to him.

"What's wrong Robin?"

He doesn't respond, just sits there staring at the floor.

"Robin!" she says a little louder.

Again, he doesn't respond.

Finally, she reaches over and taps his cheek, trying to get him to look at her. His eyes no longer look enchanting or beautiful since they are full of panic and confusion.

"What happened?" she says slowly. "Who was on the phone?"

"Child Protective Services, they have Roland there because apparently, someone reported that Marian is an alcoholic and neglecting him."

"And is she?" Regina asks.

"No, and she's never been an alcoholic. She never touched a drop once Roland was born and even before that, she only drank once and a while, mostly during special occasions."

"So, what do they want to do?"

"They want me to come and pick him up… but Regina…"

She looks at him with her dark eyes filled with concern and dismay.

"What?"

"I…I can't take him to my apartment… Not with Will there. If that happens, he'll probably be kept in their 'orphanage' or something."

Her mind begins to race as she thinks of a possible solution.

"Bring him to my place," she says.

Robin looks at her. "W-What?"

"I have an empty apartment and he can stay there until we can get this mess sorted out."

"Are you sure…"

"Robin, let's worry about your son, not me. Let's go," she says, standing up, pulling on her coat, and grabbing her purse.

…

"Daddy!" an excited voice says as a five-year-old boy dressed in a snowsuit and hat runs out to where the two of them are standing.

Robin kneels down and embraces his son, hugging him tightly. Regina watches the exchange and her heart swells a little bit. The little boy is the spitting image of Robin with a round face and the same coloured hair. His cheeks were a little pudgier and when he looks up at Regina, she can see that he has dark brown eyes instead of blue, a trait likely passed down from his mother.

"Oh Roland, are you okay?"

"Yes Daddy, but where's Mommy?"

Robin swallows. "I-I don't know, but for now you're going to spend some time with me okay?"

Roland looks at his daddy and runs his hand along Robin's chin as if to feel his beard. The child looks a little distressed, but mostly happy that strangers did not surround him anymore.

"Are we going to visit Killy and Willy?" he asks.

"Not tonight, we're going someplace extra special," Regina says before Robin can answer.

"Where?!" Roland asks, jumping up and down.

"It's a surprise," she says. She kneels to look at Roland fully. She feels that motherly intuition coming over her and she feels like she's talking to five-year-old Henry again. Her heart aches a little, considering she could never have a child and raise him to this age.

"I love surprises!" the boy shouts.

"Inside voice," Robin reminds his son.

"Why don't I take Roland out into the snow while you finish all the paperwork?" she suggests.

Robin nods and turns back to the desk of the Child Protective Services organization.

Regina takes Roland's hand and guides him out into the snow.

"Who are you?" the little one asks.

"My name is Regina."

"Gina?"

"No, Regina…"

"I like Gina better, it's prettier," Roland says with a mischievous smile.

"Alright, I'll let you call me Gina," she says as the cold wind hits their faces. The snow is still falling and Regina holds the boy's hand to prevent him from slipping or running into the street.

"Look," she says. "There's the snow plow."

Roland just stares before raising his hand and waving at the driver. To his delight, the man waves back.

"You must be very special if he waved to you," she says.

Roland nods and sneezes when a snowflake goes up against his nose. Regina takes out a Kleenex and wipes the kid's nose before speaking again. "Do you know what snowflakes taste like?" she asked.

Roland shook his head.

"They taste like chocolate ice cream," she grins. She played this funny game with Henry when he was younger.

"No, they don't!" Roland says firmly. "They taste like nothing."

"I think they taste like chocolate ice cream, with sprinkles on top."

"No, they don't, I show you." The boy sticks out his tongue and Regina does the same. Once he's caught a few he turns to her. "See nothing!"

"I don't know," she says with a smirk. "I think mine taste like chocolate mint ice cream."

Robin's son shakes his head and sticks his tongue out again. His supervisor does the same, happy that she kept him busy until his father comes back out. It amazes her that she was able to slip so quickly back into the "doting mother" role. Her head is filled with the fond memories of Henry's childhood and if she was honest, she missed interacting with a young child. She could play all sorts of games with him and be able to laugh at his antics. It felt like forever since she laughed genuinely.

Robin comes out, still distressed and very confused.

"Come on Roland, the car's over here."

As the boy runs ahead a little bit, both adults turn to one another.

"They won't tell me who reported Marian, they won't let me see her and they said they'll call me in the morning about whether he can see her again."

"Do you know if Marian had someone who hated her? Maybe held a grudge?"

"I can't think of anyone," Robin says. "I just don't know what to do now."

"Well, I think you should take him out for dinner, one of those kid friendly places and let him run around for a bit. I'll drop you off and then go home and make sure my apartment is 'kid-friendly.'"

"We'll have to stop at our house first, just to get a few things so he can stay the night," Robin says.

"Alright, you direct me," Regina says as they reach Robin's car. Roland climbs into his car seat and buckles himself up without any help. He begins asking questions that his father does his best to answer, still feeling overwhelmed and confused by everything that was happening.

…

A few hours later, Regina's apartment is "child-ready." Once she got home, she immediately began cleaning to make her home safe for Roland. She hid anything that was breakable in her closet. She moved anything pointy like her modern art pieces into her room for safekeeping. She removed any and all alcoholic products from the fridge and kitchen and put any of her feminine products in the bathroom out of the child's reach. She straightened her room up to ensure he doesn't get into her bras or find her high heeled shoes. She prepared the extra room in her apartment, which was a double bed filled with extra pillows and blankets. She then went out shopping and brought home some "kid-friendly" food to make the boy breakfast and possibly lunch tomorrow. Once she was done, Regina went to pick up Robin and Roland.

When Roland entered her apartment, he looked a little scared, probably confused and intimidated by her place. Regina decided to entice him with her flat screen TV and turned on the kid's network. He immediately ran over and sat down with his favourite blanket and toy trucks. He became so engrossed, this allowed Robin and few minutes to gather his bearings and talk to Regina.

"Just tell him he's having a sleepover," she says gently. She has the urge to give Robin a hug. She hesitates but then pulls him into her arms, making sure that Roland can't see.

"I just can't believe that this happened…" Robin says, still very much spaced out over the whole situation.

"You're sure you have no idea who would have called?"

"No… none. Marian is a great mother, that's why it's been so hard to work out custody with her…"

"You're a great father," Regina says gently, cupping his face in her hand. "We'll figure this out and until then, let's make the best of it."

The next hour goes by quickly and quietly. After some TV, Robin helps his son get ready for bed, something in his mind finally puts two and two together. He feels himself boil up with rage as his son brushes his teeth.

"Regina," Robin says, as his mind makes the connection and everything becomes so clear. "Would you mind reading Roland a bedtime story? I have a call to make."

"Sure, uh but I don't have any…"

"He has his favourite story book in the bag, just make sure you do the funny voices, he loves that."

"Okay," Regina says before going over to Roland. "Roland, it's time to get into bed and I'll read you a story."

"What about Daddy?" the boy asks.

"I'll be there in a few minutes buddy, I just have to make a call."

"Okay," the boy says. Regina guides him down the hall and she sits with him on the bed, letting him pick the story.

Once his son is out of ear-shot, Robin picks up the phone and dials Zelena's number.

"Hello, Robin," the smooth voice on the end says. She's trying to sound seductive, but Robin is so angry that he ignores it.

"Did you call Child Protective Services on Marian?"

Zelena is taken back by the accusation. "What? No… of course not."

"Don't lie to me!" he practically yells. "I thought we agreed with good, honest statements!"

"Robin please, you're over reacting, all I did was give you more of a chance to see your son."

"By practically getting my wife arrested and separating my son from her?!"

"Please, the kid was going to be fine, they always take good care of them!" Zelena says defensively.

"I can't believe you did this!" Robin hisses angrily. "I should have known that you would pull a stunt like this!"

"What do you mean?" Zelena says, sounding a little hurt by Robin's voice.

"I know you've just been telling lies about your sister in order to get me to hate her. I know you want to be with me, well guess what? I like Regina and nothing you ever say is going to change that. You can forget trying to take my case to court, you're fired and don't ever contact me again!"

With that, he hangs up, leaving the red-headed lawyer distraught and angry.

Robin takes a deep breath and leans against the kitchen counter as Regina comes down the hall. Robin tries to compose himself.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm fine, I just had an argument with one of my lawyers. I think she was the one who reported Marian to CPS in order to turn the case in my favour. I ended up firing them."

"Who would do something like that?" Regina says in shock. "That's dirty politics."

"It's not important now, I'm done and I want to get this mess cleared up as soon as possible."

Regina gets closer to Robin and looks into his eyes again. Her heart broke at the fact that she knew he didn't deserve this and yet he was in the middle of a terrible hurricane. She knew what it was like to be in the self-made hell of divorce and she could only feel sympathy for him. She knew his case was a lot more complicated with his son, something she never had to do, and she can only imagine the pain and frustration he must be feeling.

She leans in and kisses him on the cheek. He looks at her in surprise and then he pulls her in for a real kiss. They stand in the kitchen, holding one another, flashing back to that kiss the night of their first date. The hunger and the passion, the sparks that flew between them. Regina held tightly to Robin, wanting to memorize his scent and the feeling of his lips on hers. He gripped her tightly, wanting to hold her and never let go.

Eventually, Regina steps back and clears her throat.

"Uh… Roland wants to see his Daddy before he goes to sleep."

"Oh sure," Robin says.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," he nods before heading down the hall to where his son is staying.

Regina watches until Robin disappears from sight and then looks down at his cell phone. To her surprise, it was still unlocked. She didn't want to look for the fear of being nosey, but a familiar name caught her attention. She saw the Z and knew immediately who Robin had been talking to and who had used those dirty tactics to win the case.

 _ZELENA_

 _Here's chapter 62. Don't worry the next Emma chapter is coming. Stay Tuned!_


	63. Chapter 63

_It's finally time! Thank you for your patience and support. Warning, this chapter is going to be a little gruesome._

Emma is standing in the kitchen, watching, and waiting. The damn snow was preventing her plan… her plan to finally escape the hell she's been put through.

She had it all planned. It wasn't going to be a pleasant experience, and very risky but this might be her only chance. The problem was now that the mounds of snow prevented either of them from going anywhere. Arthur seemed too lazy to try and dig the truck out once the snow storms had passed and he was merely honest with his boss that he couldn't get to work. Instead, he drank beer on the couch and listened to the crappy radio he stole from the local junkyard. Emma wanted to use the radio to hear about any news. She's been so isolated that World War Three could have broken out and she would have no idea. She also wanted to hear if her family and friends were still looking for her. The last conversation she had with them played over and over in her mind to the point where she basically had memorized it. She kept watching out the window, waiting for the sounds of sirens or helicopters indicating that they finally found her, but as Christmas passed and then the New Year, her hope had faded again. She knew she had to keep hoping and praying that they wouldn't give up on her as she wouldn't give up on them.

After what was most likely two weeks of being buried in the snow to the point where both residents were almost going a little stir crazy, finally, the sun came out and began to melt the snow drifts. Arthur knew he had missed a lot of work and since they were running low on food, he had to go back to the hardware store. With much anticipation, Emma waited with an anxious mind and heart, watching the truck disappear into the woods.

Suddenly, the baby kicked in her stomach, as if noticing the change in her attitude and personality. The little one was becoming a lot more active in the past few weeks, especially when Emma tried to exercise and stay healthy. She'd walk all around the house several times a day, walking up the creaky stairs and across the living room to pace herself and raise her heart rate. Her stomach was growing a little bit larger with each passing day, which was slightly reassuring that the baby was healthy and getting enough nutrition. It had been so long since Emma had been pregnant that she actually forgot how uncomfortable it was, but also how precious an experience it was too. The little life inside her would kick and react to her movements, making the forced mother-to-be feel less alone and maybe even a bit happy.

But it is from this tiny child that Emma knew what she had to do next…

…

She went about the same routine for most of the day; pretending to clean and getting herself some lunch. Just as it started to get dark, Emma knew he would be home soon and it was time to put her plan into action.

She takes a kitchen knife from one of the drawers, her hand shaking slightly from what she's going to have to do. The baby reacted.

"I'm doing this for you," she whispers.

She the held out her left hand, and slowly but surely, cut her flesh.

Blood immediately began to flow through her hand, it didn't hurt so much, but the smell of blood made her slightly nauseous, most likely because it reminded her of a case she had a few years back where one of her charges tried to commit suicide by cutting their wrists and Emma was forced to kick the door down and try and stop the bleeding until an ambulance arrived. By the end of it, both she and the victim were covered in blood so much so that Emma took three showers until she felt completely clean. She then had to throw out her clothes, which were stained beyond belief and she spent the next day in bed, trying to recover from the smell and the experience.

Emma squeezes her hand to make droplets on the floor and then uses one of her feet to make smears. She then walks through the house and up the stairs ensuring that there is a noticeable trail of blood through the cabin.

Once she reaches the bathroom, she then cuts her other hand to make the bleeding seem more significant. She creates smears on the doorknob, all over the floor and even the mirror. She creates larger puddles to make it look like she was standing for a long time. Emma then smears blood all over her shirt and removes her pants. She squeezes both bloody hands along the inner thighs of the pants and then puts them back on. Now it looks like she might be miscarrying.

She stains a few towels red as well, making it look like she was trying to stop the bleeding. Then she opens the window and drops the bloody knife out into the snow. Fortunately, the knife falls into a deep snow drift and cannot be seen at all. She then shuts the window and wraps a clean towel around both her hands to stop the bleeding. It doesn't take very long, but soon Emma knows she's made the perfect escape plan. Arthur wanted nothing more than this baby and if it looked like she was miscarrying, he'd do anything to try and save her, including taking her to the hospital.

The final step was to wait for the car to pull up and then start crying and moaning. It wouldn't be very hard to fake crying, but she had to really convince her captor that she was in agony and that she would have to go to the hospital; there was not another option.

She practiced a few moans, choosing the right one that made her seem like she was in an inordinate amount of pain, all her emotions of the past few months needed to be put into this performance.

Emma prepares herself, waiting until in the distance there is the sound of an engine. Emma's heart beats in anticipation. She smears her hands in some of the blood to mask the intentional cuts, starts to cry.

She waits as his boots crunch underneath the snow.

 _Closer…and closer…_

The back door opens and she then cries out his name.

"ARTHUR?!"

 _Stay tuned for tomorrow!_


	64. Chapter 64

"Emma?" Arthur shouts, very concerned about the trail of blood on the floor.

"Arthur… the baby!" Emma says, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

With his heart pounding, Arthur bolts through the cabin with all his winter gear still on and nearly slips into the blood on the floor. He stumbles up the stairs in a frenzy, his mind racing about the child, but also Emma, if she and the baby die… Everything will be for naught.

He finds the bathroom door open just a crack and nearly loses his lunch at the seemingly gory scene in front of him. Emma sits on the floor, pretending to be in pain and trying to mop up the blood.

"Dear God!" Arthur gasps.

Emma looks up at her captor with as much helplessness as she can muster, clenching her hands into fists as to not show him the cuts that were really causing the blood.

"The baby…" she whimpers.

"Is it…is it?" he gasps as he actually kneels down in a puddle of blood to be at Emma's level.

"I…I don't know," she sobs. Inside her head, she's praying that this will work. It must otherwise, there may be no hope for escape at all.

Arthur puts his hand on her belly and Emma isn't sure what will happen next. If the baby doesn't respond, he may think it's dead and not bother taking her to the hospital. If that's the case, he might figure out that she planned the whole thing and do something terrible to her. If the baby kicks a lot, he might figure out that the baby is fine and this was all a setup and as punishment, rape her again. She cannot win either way. Fortunately, the baby gives off some kicks, a few that are not as strong as they should be. This could show Arthur that the baby might have a chance of survival and take her somewhere, anywhere to try and save it. It was as if the baby recognized the situation and was playing along.

Emma's heart pounded in her ears, waiting for a response.

"It's still alive…" Arthur says. His stomach turns about what he must do. That is his child in there after all and if he doesn't get Emma to a hospital, he might lose it. At the same time, he runs the risk of being discovered and arrested for his crimes.

Emma continues to moan and pretend to be in agonizing pain, forcing Arthur to make his decision faster. Sweat beads on his forehead and his heart beat hits overdrive. His head is spinning with the decision while Emma is likely bleeding out and outright dying in front of him. It's about the innocent life inside her that matters. His child. He'll have to risk it.

"Can you walk?" he asks her.

Emma does her best to pretend to be weak and wobbly on her feet. She even holds the counter to sell it.

"Lean on me, we have to get you to a hospital…" Arthur says reluctantly.

Emma certainly does not want to lean on him, he smells of sweat and cigarettes, but she's so close to freedom, she does as she is told. She continues to moan and wince in pain. She puts her arm around his neck, careful to hide her cuts, he gives her the support to get out of the bathroom and down the hall. Emma smiles inwardly and decides to make him suffer a little bit, she makes her body go almost entirely limp, weighing him down considerably to the point that he's panting. They move very slowly until they reach the stairs. Finally, Arthur just scoops Emma up bridal style and carries her down the stairs and out the door. He carries her to the awaiting truck and puts her in the passenger seat. He then fumbles to get the truck started, but once it roars to life, Emma feels so much relief that she wants to shout out, but must keep the painful façade in order to make sure this works.

"Just hang in there," Arthur pants as he steers the truck in the direction from which he came. Emma just keeps moaning and groaning, keeping everything believable. She turns to look out the window for the first time in months without bars restricting it. It looks like a nice forest, especially with the snow drifts, but Emma had only seen it from captivity. Now she was almost free that her heart was going to explode with joy.

Arthur's mind is racing, he decides that the only reason to keep Emma from talking is to be next to her for as long as possible, keeping an eye on her and preventing the secret from being blown.

…

An hour and a half later, Emma sees civilization and people for the first time in forever, she tries not to smile as Arthur turns onto the main road and she sees people walking along the street. She wants more than anything to jump out of the moving truck and run to the first person she sees and tell them to call the police. However, with the baby at risk and that Arthur might turn right around and try to run her down, she keeps the painful sounds going.

"We're almost there," Arthur says as he turns towards the town hospital.

He pulls into a parking space and then gets out, runs around to the passenger side, and pulls Emma into his arms. She can't stand his smell and tries to hold her breath.

Arthur bursts through the front doors of the hospital and runs towards the front desk. The receptionist behind it is very shocked, especially by the blood.

"Please help!" Arthur begs. "My wife is close to miscarrying."

The word "wife" makes Emma's stomach twist in disgust but she makes a little bit of a more painful noise to show that her situation was "dire." The receptionist buzzes for the nurses and several of them come running, with a wheelchair.

"Put her here," the male nurse says.

Arthur does so and then the group of medical professionals turns towards the emergency room area and possibly surgery. Emma's heart is soaring in her chest. The problem is that Arthur is running right alongside them, trying to keep up. He says various comforting phrases to "calm" her, but instead, it makes her sick.

Once they reach a set of doors, one of the female nurses grabs his shoulder and tries to keep him from going any further.

"Sir, please let the professionals handle this."

"But she's my wife!" Arthur says, very anxious about what Emma was going to say once he was out of sight.

"Sir, she'll be crowded and she's in critical condition, allow the doctors to take it from here."

"But…"

As Arthur argues with the nurse, Emma is pushed through the doors and finally rid of the horrible man. She finally lets out a sigh of greatest relief. It was happening, it's finally over. She was free!

"What's your name darling?" another nurse asks.

"My name is Emma Swan. I'm not really in pain, but I've been missing for four months."

 _Thank you for your patience, Emma is finally free!_


	65. Chapter 65

The nurse blinks in disbelief as her mind tries to process what the woman just said. All she sees is a woman covered in blood. One might assume an abusive relationship or a terrible accident but certainly not kidnapping. The entire world seems to stop and the hospital goes silent. The male nurse has stopped wheeling her and the female nurse next to him tries to comprehend everything.

"I…I don't understand."

"That man out there is not my husband. He's my abductor. He drugged and kidnapped me from a bar more than a few months ago, holding me captive and raping me in the hopes of getting me pregnant." Emma says bluntly.

"A-Are you pregnant?"

"I am…" Emma says. "But I don't know how long I've been pregnant. I faked a miscarriage to get him to bring me out of the cabin he had me locked in. I really only cut my hands." She shows the nurses her cuts to back up her claim.

Finally, reality sets in.

"Get to her a doctor for an examination," the female nurse orders. "I'm calling security and the sheriff to have the man arrested. What's his name?"

"Arthur King," Emma says, feeling great relief that her captor was having his ass handed to him. Justice would be served and she would finally be free.

"Have a warrant out for his arrest. Where are you from originally?"

"Boston, I have friends and a son waiting for me there, please call them immediately," Emma says before she's rolled away for a full examination.

The nurse rushes to the nearest phone and dials 911.

"Hello?" the sheriff says.

"Sheriff Brown, you're not going to believe this…"

…

David sits at his desk completely stressed out. He just got another call from August and the search was not fruitful, plus with Anna, now out of commission the hopes of keeping Emma's case open is slimmer and slimmer. He's nearly having a mental breakdown. It's taking a toll on his health and he's constantly separated from his wife and son. He glimpses a picture of all three of them on the corner of his desk, barely visible through all the paperwork.

The lieutenant is at his breaking point, he puts his hands over his eyes to cry silently. The news was spreading through the office, Nova was the one to tell him that Gold is putting Emma's file on the cold case pile. The problem is, David doesn't feel like he has the fight left in him anymore. There's been nothing from Emma in over three months, no evidence nothing… it might as well be the end. He's letting down everyone he loves; his wife, Henry, Killian, Regina, Ruby, the entire police force, his newborn son who would never meet his godmother and finally most of all, Emma. She's relying on all of them. That phone call was a cry for help, a pleading for assistance… for anything and David had failed her the most. How could he live with himself now?

From down the hall, he hears the familiar thud of Gold's boots. Those clunky military boots that he insists on wearing as part of his Commissioner's uniform and David's heart races. He has to keep fighting and putting himself at risk of losing his job too. Everything seems like a hopeless situation.

There is a knock and David mutters to come in. Gold stands in the center of the room in full uniform.

"May I sit?" he asks.

David swallows and shrugs.

Gold's expression is unreadable and this makes Lieutenant Nolan's stomach twist with anxiety and fear. The commissioner sits down and faces the lead investigator.

"David…" he begins.

Suddenly, the phone rings, completely interrupting their conversation.

"Sorry," David says. He picks it up, glad for the distraction.

"Hello?"

"Is this Lieutenant Nolan?"

"Yes,"

"I have some news for you..."

…

"And you're sure that it's Zelena?" Mary Margret asks as she, Regina and Robin, sit on a park bench. Jacob is nestled in his mother's arms, to keep him out the cold, while Henry and Roland throw snowballs at each other.

Robin nods angrily and clenches his hands into fists.

"Marian and I might not be together anymore, but she's still a good mother."

"I just can't believe Zelena would play dirty like that."

"I can," Regina says. "She's always played dirty. She's a manipulative bitch who will do anything to get her way."

"Regina!" Mary Margret scolds.

"What? Your son isn't old enough to understand words."

"I meant Roland and Henry."

"I apologize for Roland, but Henry's probably heard a lot worse."

"Regardless…" the teacher says. "Let's keep our voices down."

Mary Margret's phone suddenly buzzes in her pocket. She hands Jacob to Regina while she fishes it out of her coat pocket.

"It's David," she says before answering. "Hi Honey."

"MARY!" David is practically screaming. He cannot contain his joy, which also cannot be expressed over the phone.

"David what's wrong?" his wife asks, fearing the worst.

"Nothing's wrong. They found her Mary. THEY FOUND HER!"

…

"Bloody hell," Killian murmurs as he sits down on a nearby rock to rest his feet. Hiking through the snow is not fun and his entire body aches from the climbing he's had to do. Now he sits at the top of a ravine to rest. Yet another organized search party in a different town is not going on until tomorrow, but the three men of the group went to scout out where they had not looked yet. The local town church was willing to help after their last search party turned up nothing. Emma's search party had moved on to the next place and learning from their past mistakes, had not gone to city hall. The ladies at the church were very willing to help find Emma as soon as possible. This gave the foursome a little bit of hope, but not a lot.

The docks man sits back and begins gazing upwards at the graying sky. He wishes beyond all measure that he could find Emma and bring her home to safety.

Suddenly, the walkie talkie he's wearing buzzes.

"Hello?"

"Killian?" Anna's voice asks. Anna is back in the car, staying warm and keeping her ankle relaxed, acting as sort of a home base for the three searchers to radio in to.

"Yes?"

"I just got a text message from Mary Margret. You should try calling her. She says it's important."

"Alright," Killian says.

He stands up and searches for his phone in his coat. He holds it up and searches for bars. When he finally gets some by standing on a rock, he dials Mary Margret's number.

She picks up on the first ring.

"KILLIAN!" she practically shouts.

"Aye," he winces, pulling the earpiece away as she had screamed so loud. "I'm here, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's…wrong…K-Killian… e-e-everything is…"

The signal is getting scrambled.

"What was that?"

"I-I said they…"

Killian stands on top of a rock to get a clear signal.

"You're breaking up love."

"I SAID... THEY... FOUND E...MMA!"

When those words reach his ears, he nearly falls off the rock and down into the ravine as his legs gave out in utter surprise.

…

"YOU'RE SHITTING ME?!" Ruby hollers through the entire restaurant. Many customers look at her with almost frightened looks. The waitress is jumping up and down like a rabbit and practically screaming at the top of her lungs. Tears are also streaming down her face.

"Ruby!" her grandmother barks, coming from the kitchen to scold her. "What did I tell you about being on your phone during…"

"Screw that. Grandma, they found Emma alive!"

…

"YOU'RE LYING TO ME!" Elsa screeches so loudly that Olaf runs for cover as if there might be an earthquake. "You can't be…"

Kris comes into the kitchen to know what all the commotion was about, Elsa lets the landline phone drop to the floor and hang there.

"What's going on?"

"That was David, Emma's alive and she's been rescued!"

…

"NO WAY!" Lacey squeals in disbelief. She drops the stack of books she's carrying in the library, while re-shelving returns.

"SHHHHH!" is the response from the nearby librarian.

Lacey has tears in her eyes and rushes out the door without a second thought.

…

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" MeyLing gasps, she nearly slips on the ice as the call came during hockey practice. Her teammates look at her in confusion. "I'll be right over." She then skates over to where her coach is.

…

"YOU'RE KIDDING ME?!" Aurora shouts throughout the entire house. Phillip whacks his head on the roof of the oven in surprise as he and Aurora were cleaning it. Phillip Junior begins to cry in shock from his playpen in the living room.

The mother puts the phone under her chin and races to her crying son. She anxiously tries to soothe him as she rushes back into the kitchen and nearly runs into her husband. She's now crying and jumping up and down, scaring her son even more. Phillip takes his son until Aurora can control herself again.

She hangs up and looks at Phillip.

"What was that all about?"

"Emma, Phillip, they found her. She's alive and in the hospital in a local town."

"How…How?!"

"I don't know, but Elsa is coming to pick me up and then we're all going to the town! How cold is it outside?"

…

Henry can barely contain his joy. He shakes in the back seat, while squashed between a five-year-old kid and a three-month-old baby. Regina cannot drive fast enough to the police station, her own heart hitting overdrive in excitement and relief. Mary Margret has not stopped crying and Robin sits the way back, feeling a little lost, but nonetheless relieved that this nightmare is over.

David runs outside and Mary Margret embraces him to the point where her legs are wrapped around his waist. They kiss so hard, both crying in joy and happiness. Emma had been found. She was going to be okay and they could finally hug their friend again.

Regina honks the horn.

"Let's go Police Escort!" she hollers.

David and Mary Margret get into the police cruiser. David turns his lights and sirens on and has Regina follow behind him. He doesn't care if he's breaking the rules, Emma is waiting for them.

The two hold hands as they drive through the city, love, and hope in their hearts and tears in their eyes.

 _The reunion is coming, the reunion is coming. Thank you for the support. The story is not over yet!_


	66. Chapter 66

"Slightly malnourished, cut hands, bruised trachea, bruises and cuts, evidence of sexual and physical abuse and a developing infant," the doctor says, examining a clipboard.

Emma sits on an examination table in the hospital, dressed in a hospital robe and although it wasn't the most comfortable, anything was better than the rags she'd been forced to wear for the past few months. Several security guards had been positioned outside to protect Emma from Arthur while she had a full examination.

"And you're certain you're with child?"

"Yes," Emma nods. "I've had morning sickness and I've felt movement."

"Well, I'll set up an ultrasound as soon as possible, but other than that, I must say that you are a very lucky woman to have endured captivity for so long. I now insist that you get some rest before the police arrive to take your statements."

"And my family… Have they been called?"

"Yes Ma 'me they have."

Emma manages a smile a little bit before she begins to cry a little bit. The doctor reaches over and puts his hand on her shoulder. Emma flinches at first but the doctor then helps her off the table. A nurse then comes to bring the survivor down the hallway.

"You'll be escorted to a private room and there will be officers stationed at the door for protection," the nurse says.

"Thank you, doctor," Emma says before several officers lead her and the nurse down the hall.

"I wish you the best of luck my dear," the doctor smiles before he exits in the opposite direction.

As they go down the hall lit by fluorescent lights, Emma can't help that she feels almost like a celebrity with the bodyguards around to protect her. However, the happy moment fades quickly as she becomes worried about if Arthur had been caught and whether he might be lurking around in the halls somewhere. She doesn't know why she should be so afraid of him, she's safe now, away from that hell hole and will soon be reunited with her son. She then realizes that she called all her other friends, family, which seemed unusual, but it had to be true all of them were trying to help her, even August and they cared about her so much. She feels tears in her eyes; she'd never had a real permanent family before or felt like she ever really belonged anywhere, but now that she knew everyone she loved returned that affection, her heart was overwhelmed with joy.

Once they come to a room deep in the hospital, the nurse follows Emma in. The bed is a typical hospital bed with an adjustable back, but compared to the one she'd been forced to sleep in before, it was heaven. She couldn't wait to go back to her own home and sleep in her own bed again, surrounded by familiar settings.

"I'll be back in a few hours to bring you some food, but for now just try to rest," the nurse says gently.

Emma crawls under the sanitized covers and lays back, happy for a comfortable pillow. "Thank you."

"I'll just be a call away if you need anything."

"Will you let me know the minute my son and friends get here?" Emma asks.

"Of course," the nurse says with a smile. She then turns the lights out and exits.

Emma lays back on the bed, trying to get comfortable. The room was darkened for her sake and felt empty. There was only a single chair by the window and another hospital bed on the opposite end of the room that could be separated from her with the curtain. The only sounds were the humming of nearby machinery and the wind outside. Emma wasn't sure what time it was, but it was likely late. She didn't really want to sleep, wanting to hold Henry in her arms again and kiss Killian. She was happy, but also afraid, especially if she was carrying Arthur's baby. Would Killian still want to be with her? Especially if she was pregnant with another man's baby? It wasn't by choice of course but still made her very nervous.

She tries to clear her head and get at least some sleep.

…

She must've fallen asleep for at least a few hours because when she wakes up, it's still dark out. She sits up and stretches out a little bit, feeling slightly better but something was off. Very off. The room was completely silent and the only light was coming from the windows. In the chair that was next to the window sat a figure. A large figure who sat as if he had been waiting for her. Emma's heart drops into her stomach.

"Think you could get rid of me that easy did you?"

Emma begins to hyperventilate as the voice was the same gruff one she'd heard for the past few months. She wants to scream but the sound is caught in her throat. She thinks she might be able to run, but the figure is coming toward too quickly. She can see that he has some sort of weapon, a blade most likely. She prepares herself to be ready to fight, but the figure is on her within a few moments. Emma begins to thrash around, fighting as hard as she can. His hot breath is on her face the entire weight of his body is crushing her ribs. She screams out and fights Arthur with all the strength in her. Arthur begins to laugh maniacally as he pins her to the bed and then presses the blade to her throat. Emma is crying and using any strength she has to fight.

Where were the officers who were guarding her room? Couldn't they hear her screams? Emma now lays still with the blade against her throat.

"You might be free from me physically, but you still have something that belongs to me." he hisses. "And I'm going to get it one way or another." He then puts his arm against her throat, cutting off her air supply and he rips her hospital gown open. He raises the blade up and Emma lets out another scream before he brings it down on her stomach.

…

Emma bolts upward in the bed, panting and sweating like crazy. Her heart beat is hitting overdrive and her eyes burn from crying. She blinks several times trying to process where she was. The bed is completely rumpled with her blankets practically on the floor and her pillow sideways. There was sunlight coming through the curtains and the chair was empty. Where was Arthur? Where was the blade? Was the baby okay? She hears the door open and two officers stare in at her.

"Are you alright, Ma 'me?" they ask with concern. "You were screaming."

Emma wipes her face before she takes a deep breath to relax.

"I-I'm fine," she says weakly. "It was just a nightmare."

"Quite the nightmare," one of them says. "You were shouting, 'No Stop!' Are you sure you're all right?"

"Has anyone been in my room at all?" Emma asks.

"No one ma 'me, we've been sure of that."

"O-Okay," she breathes. "Could you tell the nurse to bring me some food please?"

"Yes," one of the officer's nods and both exit, shutting the door behind them.

Emma lays back and wipes her brow, calming her entire body down. The baby seems to dislike the stress because it kicks in response to her nightmare.

 _It's not real,_ she thinks to herself. _You're safe now and he can never harm you again._

…

After a meal, Emma becomes bored and wants to do something, but the nurse insists that she stay in bed until the doctor comes to examine her again as well as do the ultrasound.

Emma's mind wanders back to what Killian would think about the baby? Should she give it up for adoption? She did consider that with Henry once, but the thought still fills her with dread and sadness. What can you tell a baby who was conceived in the most violent way possible and not wanted in the first place? Emma remembers that this was how she was brought into the world apparently, left on the side of a highway, her parents didn't seem to want her at all, not even bothering to bring her to a hospital. She puts her hand on her stomach. She would never do that to this baby… she'd want to give him or her a proper home…

Suddenly there are voices out in the halls. It's becoming a bit confusing and even hostile at one point as it escalates to yelling until the officer knocks on her door.

"Miss Swan?" he asks.

"Yes?"

"There are people out here saying they know you."

"She's my mother!" a familiar voice shouts.

"HENRY!" Emma shrieks, getting out of bed. Her eyes filling with tears and her heart beat pounds against her chest.

"MOM!"

The teenage boy goes under the officer's arm and runs to his mother. She embraces him fully. Her entire body is bursting with joy and she's crying like there's no tomorrow. She squeezes her son as tightly as she can, never wanting to let go. He doesn't seem to mind as he too is crying, and holding his mother, hoping she doesn't disappear. Never has she felt this happy since the day he was born and she held him for the first time. She embraces his smell and runs a hand through his hair, feeling like this was a dream. A wonderful dream that she never wanted to wake up from.

Once they finally break apart, Emma kisses his forehead and just clutches his face in her hands.

"When did you get to be so big?" she asks in good humor. He looks so different from the last time they saw each other. He'd grown a few inches and his hair had lengthened. His eyes look tired, clearly, someone who had endured a lot of heartbreak, but now those eyes were filled with happy tears and joy to see his mother again.

"I love you Mom," Henry whispers.

"I love you too Bug,"

Henry smiles, never thinking that he'd be happy to hear that name again.

"I missed you," he weeps.

"I missed you too. Not a day went by that I didn't think of you," she says, holding him against her chest, which was harder since he was much taller now.

"Never leave me again," he says.

"I promise."

"Ma' me there are other people out here too," the officer says, becoming a little choked up at the tearful reunion.

"Let them in," Emma says.

"EMMA!"

The first to come in is her best friend. The woman screams in joy before embracing Emma fully. Her hazel eyes are filled with tears and she clings to her friend as if she will save her life. A fresh set of tears come to Emma's eyes and she holds her dear friend. Behind her, is David, carrying a baby bucket. He places it down and rushes over, wanting his turn with his friend. He practically squashes his wife in between them.

"Oh gawd Emma it's you!" he says, tearfully. He kisses her head and puts her head against his chest.

"It's me, David," Emma says smiling through the tears.

"I'm so sorry Emma, I worked day and night trying to find you but it wasn't…"

"It's okay David," Emma says, kissing his cheek. "It doesn't matter anymore."

The three of them hug until all their muscles are sore.

"Alright, what about me? Am I chopped liver?" another familiar voice asks.

"Regina!" Emma says, embracing her other friend.

"I'm glad you're okay," the dark-haired woman says.

The two hold onto one another, Regina rubbing Emma's shoulders in comfort.

"Thank you for taking care of Henry," Emma says.

"I wouldn't have done anything else," Regina says. "I always knew that you would be found."

"I thought I did," Mary Margret says happily. The entire room laughs.

The teacher goes over and then takes her son out of his bucket. She rocks him gently to ensure that he stays asleep and then goes over.

"Would the godmother like to hold her godchild?" she asks.

Emma is crying again and nods. Carefully, Mary Margret puts Jacob in her arms.

"Emma Swan, this is Jacob Robert Nolan."

The little one makes a noise and at one point opens his eyes to see who is holding him.

"He's beautiful," Emma whispers through the tears. "He looks just like you David."

"I still think he looks like Snow," he jokes, wiping away his own tears and putting his arm around Emma. Henry stands on the other side of his mom, not wanting to leave her side as Emma lets the little one grab her finger with his whole fist. The room is filled with happy memories of a family finally reunited.

…

Not long after, more members of that family arrive.

"GIRL!" Ruby shouts, causing Jacob to scream out in fear. Ruby wraps Emma in the biggest bear hug and kisses her friend's cheek. Emma can't help but laugh, so happy to see her dirty and dyed-hair friend again.

"I knew you'd make it out, I knew you would," Ruby says, crying fully, her mascara running down her cheeks and kisses Emma's cheeks again.

Lacey is next.

"Emma I'm so sorry if it hadn't been for my birthday…"

Emma shuts her up by hugging her tightly. "It's okay Lacey, it doesn't matter anymore."

Lacey sighs and begins to cry in her friend's arms.

Aurora and MeyLing greet their long-lost friend with many hugs.

"I missed you so much," MeyLing says.

"I was so worried," Aurora adds.

"You won't have to worry now, how's baby Phillip?" Emma asks.

"He's not a baby anymore…"

Finally, Elsa embraces her close friend and won't let go for a long time.

"I'm so happy you're safe," she says.

"Me too," Emma jokes.

Her face then turns serious.

"Where's Anna?"

"She's with Killian and August," the platinum blonde leaves out the ex-fiancé for right now. "They've been searching all over the state for you. They called earlier, they'll be here really soon."

Emma's heart explodes as she wants to hold Killian again. They hadn't known each other all that long, but she wanted him to take her into his arms and soothe her with that voice of his and hypnotize her with his soulful eyes.

The room buzzes with pleasant conversation for several hours, no one dares ask Emma what happened to her, until a dark-haired man clad in black leather and wearing chains around his neck, runs down the hall as fast as he can.

Emma's heart nearly breaks her ribcage when she hears that voice.

"Swan?!"

 _Reunion Part 2 coming soon_


	67. Chapter 67

"Killian," Emma says. Her eyes filling with new tears and she runs into his arms. It seems like there are fireworks when their lips meet for the first time in a long time. Emma knows immediately that Killian missed her as much as she missed him. He pulls her as close as he possibly can, his lips practically devouring hers in the heat of passion. Both of them seem to flashback to the nights so long ago, where all they had was each other and their bodies. Exploring each other and giving into the vigor of one another. Emma runs her hands through his hair, which has not changed at all and embracing his scent of leather and what she thinks is seawater. Neither really thinks about the others watching this display, lost in each other until Ruby finally clears her throat. If anyone waited any longer, the two would be on the floor and clothes would be coming off.

Once they break apart, their foreheads still touch slightly and they cannot turn away from each other.

"I missed you so much," she whispers.

"I missed you more than you'll ever know," he says breathlessly. "And I'm never letting you go again."

Emma cups his face in her hands and smiles at him. He returns is by nuzzling her nose gently before they turn towards the crowd watching them. Killian keeps his arms around Emma the entire time.

Ruby is impressed, while Henry is mortified and trying to look away. Mary Margret seems to be crying happily at this reunion while David holds baby Jacob, frowning at the display. The rest of her friends smile and give support to the two of them. At last, Emma feels complete with everyone she loves surrounding her.

Anna comes in on crutches and Emma greets her with a hug and many thankful comments for trying to find her. Anna smiles widely and is glad that her friend is safe and now she can go home and recover fully.

There are two more figures at the door and Emma recognizes August. His bright eyes and trimmed beard reluctantly smiling at her. She too hesitates a little bit until Killian tells her that the searches were all his idea. Emma gives her old friend a hug and a grateful thank you for all his hard work. The private investigator greets her like a sister and savors the hug, happy to finally see her again.

As the two embrace, Emma stares at the last figure at the door over August's shoulder, but this one hangs back in the shadows, not wanting to approach the rescued woman. For a second Emma thinks that it might be Arthur, coming back but the cops guarding her would not allow that to happen. Instead, he slowly steps into the room and her heart drops to her stomach.

It was the face of someone she hadn't seen in three years. The face of the man who struggled just as much as she did with his past and to make connections. The man who was with her when she gave birth to Henry and asked for her hand in marriage after so many years, but then left, never to be seen by her again until now. He doesn't look that different from the last time she laid eyes on him. He was a little grayer in the hair and a bit heavier, but still the same old…

"Neal…?" Emma gasps.

She can feel her legs beginning to give out from underneath her and Killian immediately has his arms around her to hold her up. Her head begins to pulsate and her stomach twists in discomfort. Her body becomes overwhelmed with many emotions; sadness, fear, anxiety, joy, confusion but mostly anger. She grips Killian's arms tightly to show him how she felt. The docks man leans down and whispers into her ear.

"He's been trying to help since almost the beginning," the dark-haired man whispers.

Emma's breath catches in her throat and a new kind of tears enter her eyes. She grinds her teeth together, unsure of how to react.

Neal is equally insecure and wondered if his very presence had ruined the happy reunion, which it likely had. He and Emma left on such bad terms and towards the end, he was no longer the man she fell in love with anyways. He thought this entire time that leaving would spare all three of them pain, but clearly, he was wrong.

"Emma…" he says, swallowing hard. "I know you'll never forgive for what I did, but I wanted to tell you I'm so sorry that I broke your heart and ruined everything. I was stupid, thoughtless, selfish…"

"A jerk!" Ruby adds and Regina stomps on her toe to shut her up.

"Yes," he admits. "That too, an idiot and as many words as you can think of, I was all of that and more. But I came back to try and help bring you home for Henry and I hoped that we would find you so I could say that I was sorry. So, yell, scream, do whatever you want to me… I deserve it."

Emma's head is like a tornado, a whirlwind of emotions that come out in the form of her tears. She doesn't know what to think about all this, but he was here for a reason.

She gently nudges Killian to let her go and she walks slowly towards him. Anger, betrayal, confusion, irritation, sadness all push down on her like she's at the bottom of the ocean and the pressure just keeps building and building with each step she takes.

Once she is within a distance of Neal, she reaches up and slaps him across the face. Several of her friends' gasp in shock, while others hold their breaths but no one reacts or moves to try and stop her. To Neal, the action hurt, stung like crazy, but he also felt relief that he was finally confronting Emma and apologizing for his actions. He knew he deserved much worse, but he was going to let her do whatever she wanted to get her anger out. However, the next action stunned everyone.

Emma reaches over and hugs Neal, taking everyone by surprise, including the blonde herself. She begins to cry and all the emotions that she'd buried a long time ago come flowing to the surface and the walls around her heart come crashing down like an avalanche. She clings to him tightly as all her memories of their time together come back. It's overwhelming and it hurts, but at the same time, it feels freeing, like this is what had been missing from her life… closure. The thing that she had been seeking to close this chapter of her life. To finally hear what he had to say and tell her that he was sorry. It's what she'd been waiting for, for three years.

"Thank you," she whispers quietly, before pushing back. Neal leans in, taken by her beautiful green eyes. How much he missed those and gives her a gentle kiss on the lips. He felt that he finally had solved one of the many problems in his life and would soon be able to let go… they could both move on with their lives.

Henry comes up behind them and both parents welcome their son into a group hug, something that hadn't happened in so long. Henry felt relief and was so happy to have his family back together. Even though it was much bigger now with all the people who had helped him through this difficult journey, to have his mom and dad in the same room was nothing short of miraculous and was something he had been wishing for a long time.

…

The next few hours are relatively quiet with Emma back in bed, surrounded by everyone she cares about. Killian and Henry are by her side the entire time while Robin introduces himself and Roland to his roommate's girlfriend and Emma is even allowed to hold Jacob again. The tiny child seems to take a liking to her and even smiles, grabbing onto her blonde hair. Emma's stomach flips when she finally remembers what she must tell everyone.

"Is it…" she begins. "Is it okay if I talk to Killian and Henry for a moment alone?" She thought that it might be better if she started with the most important people in her life right now.

Everyone looks at each other, but it seems that only Regina and Neal knew for sure what she's about to say. With some convincing of Mary Margret and David, all her friends clear out and shut the door to give them privacy.

Emma sighs and looks at both Henry and Killian. Her heart beat races in her chest and her stomach seems to jump up and down, butterflies floating inside her, or that might be the baby. She swallows a lump in her throat and tears fill her eyes again. She grabs both their hands, Killian in the bed next to her and Henry on a chair as well.

"What is it, Love?"

She sucks in a deep breath.

"I have something to tell you both and it might be a bit shocking and possibly very gross but…" Like jumping off a cliff into the ocean she says it. "I'm pregnant."

Killian begins to shake slightly, something that he had suspected awhile ago was confirmed and he squeezes her hand tightly. The docks man's eyes fill with tears, having thought over and over of how he would react. He would not stop loving Emma of course, but this was still a lot to process. Henry's head is spinning and he feels sick to his stomach. He cannot believe that his mom's captor got her pregnant. He doesn't even want to imagine it and he just shuts his eyes, unsure of how to react.

"Yes, the man had his way with me and it is likely that I am carrying his child. I don't know how long I've been pregnant, but I wanted to tell you first because you're the ones who will be impacted the most and both your opinions are the most important to me. I know this must be hard for you and I'll understand if you want to be mad or leave even. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I wanted you to know that I'm happy that you're both a part of my life and I want to make this decision together."

She puts both their hands on her stomach where the baby is kicking and both men gasp at the tiny life growing inside her. Never had either thought that something beautiful could come from this, but here were tiny feet reaching out to meet them and in a way shaking their hands.

"The nurse has scheduled an ultrasound for me, but I wanted both of you here to see it. I wanted all of us to know all the facts before going any further okay?"

Killian gazes into Emma's eyes and wipes a few tears from her face with his hand. He strokes a few hairs away from her eyes and sighs deeply. He leans in and kisses her gently.

"I'll stand by you Swan, not matter what happens,"

Henry doesn't really know what to say except. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too Bug,"

The four of them sit in silence for a long while.

 _Here's reunion part 2. Hope you guys liked it and thank you for all the amazing comments. I have a question for you; do you guys want Emma and (Killian's) baby to be a boy or a girl and could you give me some name ideas._


	68. Chapter 68

The next hard part was telling everyone else about her pregnancy. Mary Margret and David took it especially hard. They loved Emma and knew that conceiving a baby like this is traumatizing and especially hard on the mother. There were many complications that could occur including diseases or health problems, especially if they did not know who the father was. This forced Emma to reassure them that everything was going to be fine and she wanted all the facts first before going any further.

Most of her friends suspected her pregnancy already, based on the shape of Emma's body, but the hospital robe made it hard to be sure. No one felt the need to congratulate her due to how the child was likely conceived.

Eventually, the nurse came to bring Emma for the ultrasound. She gave the patient a fresh pair of clothes to wear, which brought much relief to Miss Swan that she was likely going to be released from the hospital soon after and she could go home. They allowed Killian and Henry to come and they guided her down the hall towards the designated area. The rest of the group were asked to go to the waiting room where everyone could be supervised properly and David could talk to the other police officers.

Emma clung to Killian's hand tightly and he kissed the side of her head as they went to the sonogram section of the hospital.

Once they were in a dark room, Emma lifts her shirt and the sonographer applies the cool gel to her stomach. She then uses the wand to find the fetus in her abdomen. There is a faint image on the screen and everything is gray until there is a consistent sound of a heartbeat heard. Then the shape of an unborn baby appears on the screen. Emma's breath catches in her throat and she feels her eyes filling with new tears. The baby was fully formed and they could see the head, torso, legs, and arms. It appeared that the baby was sucking its thumb and floating contently inside her womb. The heartbeat thrummed in everyone's ears.

"Strong heartbeat, that's a good sign," the technician says. She begins taking notes on her clipboard.

Emma looks over at Killian and Henry. The docks man has tears on the edge of his eyes as if he'd never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. Henry watches with fascination and turns his head a few times to get the full image of the child.

"Looks to be about five, almost six months in development," the sonographer says.

Emma blinks and looks at the woman. "Sorry, what was that?"

"You're five, almost six months along in the pregnancy."

"But… I was only with him for about four…" A great feeling of relief fills her body as she looks at Killian. "That weekend we were together…"

Killian turns red and swallows. "I…I didn't use… protection the second night." He winces, expecting Emma to be mad at him. He's also embarrassed to be discussing this in front of her teenage son.

Emma reaches over and kisses Killian deeply. She's so happy that the baby isn't Arthur's, it's theirs. The thought was always in the back of her mind, but considering the sexual abuse and Arthur's entire intention to get her pregnant in the first place, she only assumed the latter.

Killian hugs her tightly and the two start laughing in unequivocal happiness. The baby was theirs! Arthur's plan had failed and Emma could now love this baby and not be worried about the stigma of the child being conceived by such violent and horrendous means. The baby would look like either her or Killian and she could go the rest of her life knowing that the baby was created through love, not hate. She and Killian were going to be parents and Henry a big brother. The thoughts overwhelm them both and give them the feeling of pure joy and euphoria that many parents feel when hearing the news for the first time.

"It's our baby!" Emma says, smiling the widest she's ever smiled.

"We'll have to do a full paternity test to make sure of that, but from what you were saying, it is very likely that this baby's parents are in this room right now," the technician says.

Emma hugs Henry tightly. "You're going to be a big brother!"

"Yeah…" the teen says, a little overcome with emotion. "I guess I am."

Emma looks back and puts her hand on the screen. The tiny life in there is a product of innocence and true love… she hopes.

Killian kisses the side of her head. He's happy that he's going to be a father and he realized something very important; that he was no longer alone anymore. He had a family, a loving girlfriend, a surrogate son, a child on the way and a strong connection with friends who support him and give him the love he's been lacking for a long time. Though they never could replace Liam or his loving mother, Killian had found the thing that he needs the most and he was forever grateful.

"Are either of you interested in knowing the sex of the baby?" the sonographer asks.

"You can tell that already?" the expectant mother asks.

"Usually it's at six months, but at this point, I can make a definite identification."

Emma looks at Killian and he shrugs.

"Whatever you want Love," he smiles.

Emma nods.

"Well, it's a beautiful and so far, very healthy baby girl,"

Both parents smile. Henry gives a sort of half-smile, secretly he was hoping for a brother, but a sister would be just as nice. As long as he didn't have to share his room.

The technician then pages a nurse in to take blood samples from both Emma and Killian. Once this is done, the woman gives the parents-to-be some printed images and allows them to go and show their friends.

Once in the hallway, Emma wraps her arms around Killian and kisses him once more.

"I'm still here for you Swan, whatever you decide, I support you."

"Thank you," she says. "We'll just take it one step at a time."

The three of them go to the waiting room, escorted by a few officers. Emma tells everyone the good news and shows the sonogram images. Mary Margret embraces her best friend in happiness and relief, Ruby squeals, happy to have a little girl to spoil and dress up in all sorts of cute outfits. All the other women gather around to see the pictures and ask what will they name the child. Regina congratulates the couple before she and Robin take Roland back home. Her heart is a little heavy, jealous once again that someone else was having a baby and not her, but when she sees little Roland sleeping on his father's shoulder… she thinks she could still be a mother… maybe.

After a few more tests, the doctor says that Emma can go home now since there didn't to be any further need for medical attention. He wishes the family good luck and leaves. Emma is so relieved and happy to be heading home; to close this awful chapter in her life and prepare for the next step with the man she loves and her son. While everyone else clears out of the hospital, David stays back to talk to the officers. A lump is forming in his throat. He doesn't want to ruin everyone's celebrations but…

The slimy bastard Arthur was missing once again.

 _It's official, it's a girl. Keep coming with the names. I feel like I should do a poll or something._

 _Thank you for the wonderful support. I have a bit more that I want to write before I end this story but it's not over yet. I will likely be making a sequel. Sorry if this chapter isn't as good as the others. Some guest wrote a pretty harsh review calling my story "a hot mess," that I only kept writing because of the comments and that I should always plan my story out better. This kind of shook my confidence a bit, but I mostly started this story for fun so who cares what he or she said. I appreciate the continued comments from everyone and just imagine that I gave you an air hug right now. Stay tuned for more._


	69. Chapter 69

Emma kicks back on the way home, holding Killian's hand the entire time as he drives them back to Boston. Henry fell asleep in the back, leaving the two to talk privately.

"I can't believe you were going across the state looking for me," Emma says, staring at him in wonder.

"I'd go to the ends of the earth for you Swan…" he says.

Emma turns to look at him. "That's a pretty strong statement even though we've only been together for a few months."

"It feels like more… so much more."

Emma smiles. "The entire time I was in the cabin, I just kept thinking about you and Henry. You two were the only things that kept me sane even on the darkest of days. Every night I would try and go to sleep, picturing you in my head in the hopes of having pleasant dreams. Provide an escape from the hell I was living."

Killian swallows hard. He doesn't want to imagine what Emma went through, he might lose his own sanity if she even describes what the monster did to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about not using protection the second night."

"Why are you sorry?"

"I-I-I just assumed that the last thing you wanted was a child right now and like you said, we've only been courting for a few months."

"Courting? What are you from the 20's?" Emma jokes. She leans over and kisses him on the cheek. "I'm grateful Killian. Your indecision likely saved my life and gave me a reason to keep fighting. Although, the morning sickness I won't thank you for."

"W-Would it be any different if… the thing didn't happen?"

Emma bites her lip and goes quiet for a few moments. If none of this had ever happened, would she still want the baby? They had only dated for three months, which wasn't a lot of time to really get to know one another or even look at a future. She hadn't really thought if she saw a future with him; four months ago, what she was concerned about was helping Henry get used to the idea that she was dating again. They were still in the early stages of a relationship and after spending such a long time with Neal, she didn't really want to think about it. She'd spent three years mourning over the loss of him and isolating herself from men in general. She built up those walls again to prevent any more pain and for a long time, she thought that he left because of her, that she did something to upset him. She blamed herself like she always did, she thought she was the reason why no one wanted her anymore and it was the reason she was guarded and distant with everyone. Now that she knew the truth, it did not make that part of her life any better, but it was allowing her to move on, start anew. Of course, the baby was rushing things quite a bit, but she did want to be with Killian. After what he did to try and bring her home, she knew he was unlike anyone she'd met before and wouldn't run away when things got tough. And the road ahead was going to be hard. With the new addition on the way, they would have to determine living arrangements, should Killian live with them? The apartment was too small for three, let alone four, they might have to move. Then child support and getting all the baby materials, ensuring that Arthur was locked away forever… Would Killian want to stay with her? Should they get married to provide the baby with a stable family life? What about Henry?

Emma leans back, her mind extremely overwhelmed. The euphoria of being saved had now passed and reality was creeping back in. She knew she couldn't just go back to her old life now, things could never be as they were… her world was changing. The thing was, would it be any different if Arthur had never grabbed her at the bar.

"I don't really know…" she says quietly, blinking back fresh tears. It was a miracle that she was still hydrated after all the crying she'd done over the past few hours. "We'll never really know anyway."

"So how exactly do we go from here?" he asks, making a turn off the interstate.

"That I don't know that either…"

"Whatever you decide to do Emma, I'll be right there with you. I didn't give up on you before, and I'm not doing it now."

Emma smiles. She wants to just pull the docks man into her arms and never let go. He really wasn't like anyone she'd ever met before and she'd be the biggest idiot in the world to let him go now.

…

It's after midnight when the three of them finally reach the apartment. Emma's heart pounds loudly in her chest. She'd dreamed about walking through that door and going back into her apartment so many times in captivity, but now it was happening for real. She helps a tired Henry out of the car and puts her arm around him.

"Welcome home Mom," he manages to say.

Emma squeezes him tightly. Killian comes around and grabs Emma's hand. He kisses her cheek.

"Ready to go in?" he asks.

Emma swallows and nods. Her legs are a bit weak and her body feels overwhelmed and relieved. After all this fighting, she was finally where she belonged.

…

Henry fumbles with his key. Emma had to remind herself to get a new one made since Arthur had stolen her purse. She added that to the long list of things she'd have to do to achieve normalcy again.

"It'll be a little bit messy in the living room," Killian explains. "Your homestead kind of became home base for your search."

"That's fine," Emma says, yawning. She didn't really care at this point, all she wanted to do was go and sleep in her own bed.

The familiar scent of wooden floor and old candles fills her nostrils as she enters her home. It has changed a little bit, but not enough that it was completely alien. Killian did speak the truth about the papers and there were a few baby things left around, as well as Regina's briefcase. She could only assume that Mary Margret and Regina basically lived here to take care of Henry. Regardless of the mess, it felt so good to be home.

Henry headed straight for his bedroom, but he then stops and looks at his mom. "Will you tuck me in?"

Emma is taken aback, he'd stopped wanting to be tucked in when he turned seven, but she understood that he just wanted that familiarity and to tell his mom that he loved her.

"Of course, I will."

Henry smiles before heading to his room. Emma goes to the fridge and gets out a bottle of water. Normally, she's be drinking vodka or something stronger, but with the baby, she had to avoid all alcohol. She drinks while Killian watches, leaning against the sink. Emma blushes slightly as he seems to just be admiring her, no words, just admiration of her beauty.

"The pregnancy is making you glow," he whispers. She smiles and Killian goes to wrap his arms around her and the growing baby bump.

"I'm pretty sure it's sweat," she jokes as he places his chin on her shoulder. She can feel his soft breath against her face and his whiskers tickle her shoulder. "It's pretty late to go home, you're welcome to stay the night."

Killian smiles and kisses her cheek. "I'll do just that. Should I take the couch? Just to not to scar Henry for life?"

"I think he's had enough scarring for a lifetime," Emma says, throwing the empty water bottle away, with the docks man still following her.

"Aye."

"Are you sure you want the couch?"

"I made it my second bed when you went missing. I'll be alright," he whispers.

"I'd better say goodnight to Henry then," she says.

Killian releases her and she goes down the hall to her son's room. It did not look that different from the last time she saw it, still a mess and still smelly, like any typical teenager. The one difference was that his desk was covered in family photo albums and an assortment of images of her. Emma swallows a sad lump in her throat, picturing her son sitting there, crying and wondering if he'll ever see his mother again.

Henry is lying in bed, so happy that his mom was home. She comes over and he hugs her tightly. He feels fresh tears filling his eyes and he squeezes her even harder.

"I love you, Mom," he says quietly.

"I love you too Henry. I'm so sorry you had to go through this."

"It's not your fault," he says. "I'm just happy you're back."

"Me too."

"You know… at the beginning of the… thing… some people were thinking that you had just run off to start a new life, but I knew that wasn't true. I always thought of the night after dad left, where you came into my room and you promised me that you would never leave me. I believed you then and I still believe you now."

Emma sniffles before breaking apart from her son. "You should always believe it, Henry. I will never leave you and I will always come home. I will always find you no matter what happens. I will never stop loving you either. I know this has been hard on you and I know with the baby coming, it'll be even worse, but I want you to know, I love you forever and ever. No one will ever replace you as my son. You are my snuggle bug and my little storyteller."

Henry smiles, his mind filled with the happy memories of his childhood and all the things he did with his mother.

"I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time before…"

"It's okay, I understand. It's what being a teenager is all about Henry… but that will never stop me from loving you with my heart and soul. Times may change and people will come and go, but the one thing that stays the same is us. We will always be together and love each other."

Henry just continues to hug his mom for a long time. He never wants her to leave again.

Eventually, he yawns and he can feel his eyes becoming heavy. Emma kisses him on the head, something he hadn't let her do in a long time. He lays back and she pulls the blanket around him. The feeling of nostalgia and warmth fills both their bodies.

"I love you," he whispers.

"I love you too," she smiles. She gives him one more kiss before turning off his bedside lamp. Emma turns and she sees Killian standing in the doorway. She goes and wraps her arms around him. The two stare quietly at the sleeping boy. It felt like they were a real family for a moment. It was a fleeting moment of peace and pure happiness. They were in a sanctuary, a small safe place in a troubling world. Everything was simple and everything was quiet than it had been in a long time.

Killian pulls Emma out into the hall and gives her a long kiss.

"Good night my lovely swan," he whispers.

"Good night my handsome hero," she smiles.

 _This is just to address another comment from an actual counselor. The condom thing was just to make sure that the baby was Killian's, not Arthur's. I am well aware of how traumatic rape is and the impact it can have. The trauma of what Emma went through will be addressed and likely in great detail. It won't be hearts and flowers, I just wanted to write a happy reunion considering how depressing this story can become. The euphoria will wear off and reality will set in. Emma will need therapy among other things. The issue intimacy will also be addressed, but the fact that Emma is reunited with Killian and all her friends, it does call for hugs and celebration for right now._

 _This is the second to last chapter for this story. It's been a long road and I appreciate everyone's comments. I will be writing a sequel because not all the loose ends are tied up yet. Thank you for the wonderful support. I know I say that a lot but really do mean it. Even though I don't know you, I feel like we could all be friends. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart._

 _P.S. Did anyone catch my movie reference in there? It's a reference to a series of books which was a movie and is also a TV show on Netflix._


	70. Chapter 70

Emma lays back in bed. It almost felt unnatural to be back in her own bed, in her own apartment… She doesn't have to be worried about being chained to the bed or being raped or attacked in any way. She was where she could feel safe again.

Despite how exhausted her body feels, Emma can't seem to get comfortable. She rolls back and forth, trying to find a good position, but nothing seems to work. She stares at her alarm clock, it's almost two o'clock in the morning. She tries taking a few deep breaths and shutting her eyes, but still nothing. She attempts to think peaceful thoughts, happy thoughts about Henry and Killian, Mary Margret, David, and baby Jacob, but Arthur's sick face keeps entering her mind. She takes a sip of water from beside her nightstand and curls up into a ball.

After what feels like half an hour, she wipes her brow and rolls over. Not content she leaves the door open a bit and she watches Killian settle in on the couch. She forces herself to smile and then tries to settle down like he was.

She closes her eyes and eventually, she slowly feels her body drift off, finally giving into the exhaustion of her whole ordeal.

…

It feels like a few hours before Emma wakes up again. It's still dark out, but the clock hasn't changed at all. She's sweating a lot and she assumes it's because of the baby, so she goes to the bathroom to get another drink of water. As she pads down the hall, she sees that the light in the bathroom is on, which is weird because she always turns it off as to not to disturb Henry in his room. Thinking Killian might've left it on, she shrugs until she sees the entire bathroom is covered in blood. Her breath catches in her throat and she nearly falls back into the wall. It's just like what she did to escape from Arthur. There are handprints, smears and bloody towels everywhere. Emma blinks, this can't be real. She rushes across the hall to find Henry, but to her horror, his bed is also covered in blood. It's like something out of a horror movie.

"Henry?! Henry!" Emma screams. She runs down the hall to find the phone and her son. The kitchen is an absolute disaster and only one of the drawers has been completely ransacked, the knives. Emma tries to find the phone when the light in the living room goes on. And her heart drops.

"Emma..."

She turns and her heart drops.

Arthur has Killian at knife point, prepared to slit his throat. Killian looks like he was knocked out or something already, but her former captor is ready to do more damage.

"This is what you get Emma," Arthur says in a hoarse whisper.

Emma looks down to see Henry on the floor, a pool of blood under his head. He's as white as a sheet and his hazel eyes lifeless. Emma wants to get to her son, but Arthur stops her.

"You still have something of mine…" before she can do anything else, Arthur slits Killian's throat and lets him fall next to Henry.

"NO!" she screams."KILLIAN! HENRY! Please!" She desperately tries to revive her son and boyfriend, to stop the bleeding.

Suddenly, she feels her hair being pulled back. She's forced onto the floor and Arthur gets on top of her like he'd done some many times before.

"GET OFF OF ME!" she screams, struggling, fighting for her life.

"Let's finish this now shall me?" he wheezes.

…

Killian jolts awake at the sounds of Emma's scream. He thought she might be attacked or something was wrong with the baby and runs to switch on the light.

Instead, he finds Emma thrashing around like someone has a hold of her, but nobody is there. She's sweating like crazy and crying out for dear life. Her blankets are a mangled mess and she kicks continuously at the air.

"Swan!" Killian says. He rushes in with no shirt on and tries to put his arms around her to stop her from hurting herself. She's thrashing around for him to get a good grip around her. Emma screams and actually punches Killian in the shoulder. He grimaces and is thrown back onto the floor.

"You can't have my baby!" Emma shouts.

"Emma, wake up, you're having a nightmare." He cries out. "Emma please!"

Her eyes flutter open and she sits up suddenly. Her heart is pounding in her ears and tears are burning her eyes. She's gasping for breath as her head finally clears enough for her to process what's going on.

Killian gets up from the floor.

"Killian! You're alive!" she says reaching over to grab his hand.

"Of course, I'm alive."

"What's going on?" a voice from the door says. Both adults turn to see a tired teenager standing, rubbing his eyes. "I heard screaming, are you okay Mom?"

Emma wipes her brow and tries to collect her bearings. "I'm fine Henry, just a bad nightmare."

"Sounded more than just that, I heard the bed shaking."

"Everything's okay Lad," Killian says. "Your mum's just got a lot on her mind."

"Okay, good night Mom, good night Killian," he says, not really feeling like pursuing the issue any further at this time of night.

"Good night Henry," Emma says.

Killian rubs his sore shoulder.

"A-Are you okay?" Emma asks.

"I should be okay, but you've got quite the left hook."

"I-I did that to you?"

"Aye, you were screaming bloody murder Swan, telling someone not to get your baby."

Emma puts her head in her hands and attempts to concentrate on breathing. Nothing in the nightmare was real, but it sure felt that way.

"I had a dream about him," she explains. "I never told you how I escaped did I?"

Killian shook his head. Emma goes on to explain her entire dream and her escape from the madman. It was quite a dramatic way to escape and it made Killian's stomach turn a few times, especially looking at the cuts on her hands, but he nodded and just tried to comfort her. A few times he tried to hug her, but she moved away, not ready for it.

"It was all a dream Swan, we're okay and the baby's okay."

"I-I know… I should've known this would happen. After what I've been through…"

Killian grabs her hand and locks eyes with her. "We're here for you Emma, every step of the way. We'll work through this together I promise."

He gives her a gentle smile and then gives her a soft kiss on the lips. Emma shudders a little bit but then manages a tiny smile as well.

"You should try to get some sleep now," he said, getting up.

"Wait!" Emma says quickly.

"What?"

She blushes slightly. "Will you sleep in here tonight?"

"You don't think Henry will get the wrong idea?"

"I just need someone here, please?"

Killian gives her his famous half smirk. "How can I say no to a damsel in distress?"

Emma tries to smile and then opens up the other side of the bed for him. Killian turns off the light and she feels him as he climbs into bed next to her. She feels him settle down on the pillow and take a deep breath. She lays down next to him and he attempts to put his arm around her.

"Not now," she whispers, squirming out of it, but she does hold his hand tightly.

"Good night Love," he whispers, kissing her cheek.

"Good night Killian…"

 _This is the last chapter of Turn for the Worst. Thank you so much for the support of all my readers and reviewers. It's been a long journey and it's hard to believe that this started with a dream and how much I was able to expand it. It's been great and stay tuned because there will hopefully be a sequel. If you want, you could give me some book title ideas. Thank you all and good night._


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